SOUPS

“Soup is to dinner what a porch or

gateway is to a building.”
- Grimod de la Reynière
Learning Objectives

After studying this unit, you will be able to:

• Describe three basic categories of soups.
• Identify standard appetizer and main course
portion sizes for soups.
• Prepare a variety of clear and thick soups
• Identify the quality of a soup
• Garnish and serve soups appropriately
Soup (Soupe, Potage, Fr.)

• A soup is a cooked, flavored, seasoned liquid

that is served as a dish in itself. It is a liquid
food derived from meat, fish, poultry and
vegetables.
• Its origins is from soupe, a basic dish where
a potage (the contents a cooking pot) was
poured over piece of bread or sop… as in to
“sop” up the broth.
Classification of Soups

• Soups can be divided into three basic categories:

• Clear Soups. Clear soups are based on a clear,
unthickened broth or stock.  

• Thick Soups. Thick soups are based on clear stock

but are rather opaque than transparent.   

• Specialty and National Soups. This is a catch all

category that includes soups that don’t fit well into
the main categories and soups that are native to
particular countries or regions.
Clear Soups (Les potage clairs)

• Clear soups may be served plain or

garnished with a variety of meats and
vegetables. There are three categories of
clear soups:
•  

• Broths/Bouillons.
• Consommé.
• Vegetable Soups.
Broths/Bouillons

• Broths are clear liquid soups derived by

simmering meaty cuts in water until good flavor,
body, and color develop. Broth and bouillon refer
to simple, clear soups without solid ingredients.
Basic Procedure for Making Broths
1. Combine the main ingredient with the liquid and bring
to a slow simmer.
2. Add remaining ingredients and aromatics at appropriate
intervals.
3. Simmer until the broth’s flavor, color and body develop.
4. Stir, skim and check the seasoning throughout the
cooking time.
5. Make final adjustments to flavor, garnish, and serve the
broth.
6. Evaluate the quality of the finished broth.
Qualities of the Finished Broth

 A good broth should be clear, golden in color,

rich tasting, and aromatic, with a good flavor and
a noticeable body.
 Broths should be properly degreased; however,
broths have a few droplets of fat on the surface, a
sign of a rich, full-flavored soup.
 Broths should be well seasoned to bring out the
typical flavor of the soup, with no single
ingredient dominating the flavor
Consommé
• Consommés are clear soups made by combining a richly
flavored stock or broth with a specific mixture of
ingredients to produce a crystal-clear soup with no traces
of fat
• Consommé means completed or concentrated, which refers
to how the soup is clarified to make a strong
concentrated, stock or broth.
Basic Procedure for Making Consommé
1. Combine clearmeat ingredients well and assure they are very cold
at least 4°C.
2. Combine the stock and clearmeat and bring to a simmer. Stir
occasionally, until the raft begins to form.
3. Once the raft forms, create a small hole and adjust the heat until
only a few small bubbles break the surface.
4. Simmer until the consommé has developed flavor, body, and
color.
5. Strain the consommé carefully to remove any impurities and
assure great clarity.
6. Carefully degrease the consommé completely.
7. Season, garnish and serve the consommé.
8. Evaluate the quality of the finished consommé.
Principles of Consomme Making

Combine clearmeat Stir clearmeat with the stock Bring to a simmer until raft
ingredients until it starts to coagulate forms. Add onion brulee

Create a hole and simmer Check for color and clarity and Use a ladle to strain the
until it develops flavor skim when necessary consomme
Principles of Consommé Making
• Four basic ingredients are needed to make the consommé
clear. These “raw” ingredients are called clearmeat. Once the
clearmeat coagulates and floats as a solid mass on top of the
consommé, it is then referred to as raft.
 Lean ground meat – Gives additional flavor to the soup. It has to be
lean to prevent the soup from becoming too greasy.
 Egg whites - Being mostly albumin, egg whites greatly helps with its
clarifying power. (1-2 per quart)
 Mirepoix –Give added flavor to the consommé, and provides structure
to the raft.
 Acid ingredients – Tomato products for meat and poultry, lemon juice
and white wine for fish are often added, which helps coagulate the
protein.
Clarification Explained
• Coagulation of proteins is important in stock making. One
of the major concerns is how to keep coagulated proteins
from making the stock cloudy.
• This is the same process of coagulation that enables to
clarify stocks to perfect transparency.
• Some proteins like albumin will dissolve in cold water,
when the water is heated, they gradually solidify and
coagulate and rise to the surface. If this process is
controlled very carefully, these proteins collect all the tiny
particles that cloud a stock and carry them to the surface.
Troubleshooting Consommé
• CLARIFYING HOT STOCK – When the stock is hot, cool at least 10
minutes in cold water bath and mix ice cubes with the clearmeat.
• CLARIFYING WITHOUT MEAT – Clarification can be done with egg
whites alone. Use at least 3-4 egg whites per gallon of stock, plus
some mirepoix if possible. Great care is necessary because the raft
will be very fragile.
• FAILED CLARIFICATION - If clarifications fails or raft breaks, due
to boiling, strain the consommé. Cool it as much as you can, then
carefully add it to the mixture of ice cubes and egg whites, carefully
return to the simmer and the proceed with the basic method.
• POOR COLOR – Consommé made from brown stock, should have an
amber color not dark brown. To correct a pale consommé cut onion
in half and place cut half in a flat stove top until its black or
charred and add this to the raft. This is blackened onion is called
onion brulee.
Qualities of the Finished Consomme

• A consommé of excellent quality has a well-

balanced, rich flavor reflecting the major
ingredient, and a discernible body.
• A good consommé has an even greater
clarity and depth of flavor than a broth.
• There should be absolutely no trace of fat on
the consommé.
Classical Consommé Garnishes
Consommé Brunoise Consommé garnished with small cubes of carrot, turnip,
celery, leek and chervil.
Consommé Celestine Consommé lightly thickened with tapioca and garnished with
julienned crepes mixed with chopped truffles or herbs.

Consommé Julienne Consommé garnished with julienned carrots, leeks, turnips,

celery, and cabbage, plus green peas and a chiffonade of
sorrel and chervil.

Consommé Printanier Consommé garnished with balls of carrot and turnips, peas
and chervil.
Consommé Royale Chicken consommé garnished with cubes, rounds, or
lozenges of Royale (Custard).
Classical Consommé Garnishes
Consommé Chasseur Game consommé garnished with julienned mushrooms,
and game quenelles or profiteroles stuffed with game
puree.

Consommé Diplomate Chicken consommé slightly thickened with tapioca and

garnished with julienned truffles and rondelles of
forcemeat blended with crayfish butter.

Consommé Grimaldi Consommé clarified with fresh tomato puree; garnished

with diced Royale and julienned celery.

Consommé Mikado Chicken consommé with tomato, garnished with diced

tomato and chicken.
Vegetables Soups
• Vegetable soups are clear, seasoned stock or broth with the
addition of one or more vegetables and sometimes meat or
poultry products and starches.
• Vegetables soups may call for a single or for a variety of
vegetables to be added to a broth and simmered until very
tender; frequently, additional flavor and body are gained by
adding meats, poultry or fish to the soup as it simmers.
Basic Procedure for Making Vegetable Soup

1. Sweat the aromatic vegetables before adding the

broth.
2. Add the vegetables in a staggered manner, so
they all finish cooking properly at the same
time.
3. Add liquid and bring to a simmer, stirring,
skimming and checking seasoning throughout
the cooking time.
4. Evaluate the quality of the finished vegetable
soup.
Qualities of the Finished Vegetable Soup

• The finished soup should have a rich color, flavor,

and aroma.
• “Clear” vegetable soups are not as clear as broth
or consommé.
• Unlike strained soups, the vegetables are part of
the soup itself and give it texture and body.
• When cooked properly, vegetables should have
appealing colors.
Thick Soups

• Thick soups are based on clear stock but are

rather opaque than transparent.
• They are thickened either by adding
thickening agents or by pureeing one or
more of their ingredients to provide a heavier
consistency. They can be further classified
as unpassed or passed.
Classification of Thick Soups

• Passed Soups • Unpassed Soups

 Velouté Soups.  Hearty Broths.
 Cream Soups.  Bisques.
 Brown Soups.  Chowders.
 Purees.
Veloute Soups
• Velouté soups are creamy soups to which a liaison of cream
and egg yolk is added.
• These soups are prepared from a blonde roux with the
addition of an appropriately flavored stock.
• If roux is to be made as part of the overall process, known as
the singé method, the additional ingredients, such as
vegetables, meat, poultry, game or fish, are cooked in enough
fat to also make the roux.
• When the soup has gained the flavor and
consistency required, it is passed through a
fine strainer and finished with a liaison just
prior to service.
Basic Procedure for Making Velouté Soups

1. Cook the aromatic ingredients to develop a good flavor

base.
2. Add the main ingredient and dust with flour and
continue cooking to make a blonde roux.
3. Add liquid and bring to a simmer, stirring, skimming
and checking seasoning throughout the cooking time.
4. Puree the soup and strain it.
5. Return to a simmer and check for flavor and
consistency.
6. Temper the liaison and adjust seasoning.
7. Evaluate the quality of the finished veloute soup.
Qualities of the Finished Velouté Soup
• Velouté soups can have a variety of colors depending upon
the main ingredient used. It should have a golden color due
to the addition of a liaison.
• Good velouté soups have a rich flavor, balancing the main
flavoring ingredients and supporting aromatic and finishing
flavors, velvety texture, and a lightly thickened consistency.
• The liaison should smooth out but not overpower the taste
of the main ingredient.
• The surface of the soup should be lustrous, not dry,
cracked, or thickened.
Cream Soups
• Cream soups are soups that are made by simmering the
main flavoring ingredient in a thickened white stock to
which seasonings have been added. The mixture is then
pureed and strained. After the consistency has been
adjusted, the soup is finished in cream.
• Cream soups are among the most popular
soup styles featured on menus. This is
probably due to the smooth consistency of
the finished product and the versatility of
preparation.
• Cream soups are served with a garnish that
identifies the main ingredient in the soup,
from which it is named after.
Cream Soups
• Cream soups can be prepared using one of three methods. These
methods all share the feature of being finished with cream. Most
cream-style soups are served with a garnish that identifies the
main ingredient in the soup.
• A cream soup can be prepared by simply adding cream or milk
to a puree soup.
• A cream soup can be prepared from a velouté soup with cream
added instead of a liaison.
• A cream soup can be prepared consisting of 50% béchamel,
25% puree of suitable cooked main ingredient, and 25%
suitable stock.
Basic Procedure for Making Cream Soups
(Singé Method)

1. Cook the aromatic ingredients to develop a good flavor

base.
2. Add the main ingredient and dust with flour and
continue cooking to make a blonde roux.
3. Add liquid and bring to a simmer, stirring, skimming
and checking seasoning throughout the cooking time.
4. Puree the soup and strain it.
5. Return to a simmer and check for flavor and
consistency.
6. Temper the cream and adjust seasoning.
7. Evaluate the quality of the finished cream soup.
Qualities of the Finished Cream Soup
• Cream soups can have a variety of colors depending upon
the main ingredient used. It should have a light ivory color
due to the addition of cream.
• Good cream soups have a rich flavor, balancing the main
flavoring ingredients and supporting aromatic and finishing
flavors, velvety texture, and a lightly thickened consistency.
• The cream should smooth out but not overpower the taste
of the main ingredient.
• The surface of the soup should be lustrous, not dry,
cracked, or thickened
Brown Soup
• Brown soups, which are of British origin, are similar to
velouté soups but differ, as the name suggests, in their
color.
• Brown soups are prepared from a base of brown stock
thickened with a brown roux and cooked with the addition
of vegetables and meat.
• To finish the soup, the meat is strained
from the liquid and diced into small pieces.
The liquid is passed through a blender and
then the diced meat is added back to the
pot.
Basic Procedure for Making Brown Soups
1. Cook the aromatic ingredients to develop a good flavor
base.
2. Sear the meat until well browned.
3. Dust with flour and continue cooking to make a brown
roux.
4. Add the brown stock and bring to a simmer, stirring,
skimming and checking seasoning throughout the cooking
time.
5. Strain the meat from the liquid and cut into small dice or
shred into pieces.
6. Puree the liquid and return to the pan.
7. Return the meat and bring to a simmer and check for
flavor, consistency, and seasoning.
8. Add cream & adjust seasoning and consistency. (Optional)
9. Evaluate the quality of the finished brown soup.
Qualities of the Finished Brown Soup
• Brown soups should have a rich brown color depending
upon the main ingredient used. If cream is added
• Good brown soups have a rich flavor, balancing the
meat’s flavor and supporting aromatic and finishing
flavors, velvety texture, and a lightly thickened
consistency.
• If cream is added, it should smooth out but not
overpower the taste of the main ingredient.
• The surface of the soup should be lustrous, not dry,
cracked, or thickened
Puree Soups
• Purees are hearty soups that are made by cooking
starchy vegetables or legumes in a stock or broth,
then pureeing all or a portion of them to thicken
the soup. They are not as smooth and creamy as
cream soups.
• In contrast with cream soups,
they are not thickened with
additional starch, rather, they
depend on the starch content
of the main ingredient for
thickening.
Basic Procedure for Making Puree Soups
1. Sweat or brown the aromatic vegetables before adding
the broth.
2. Add liquid and bring to a simmer.
3. Add other ingredients if not added during the first
stages of cooking and simmer.
4. Stir, skim and check the seasoning throughout the
cooking time.
5. Puree the soup.
6. Return to a simmer and check for flavor, consistency
and seasoning.
7. Temper the cream and adjust seasoning. (Optional)
8. Evaluate the quality of the finished puree soup.
Qualities of the Finished Puree Soup
• Puree soups are somewhat thicker and have a slightly
coarser texture than other thick soups, but they
should still be liquid enough to pour easily from a
ladle into a bowl, with a consistency similar to heavy
cream
• A proper balance between solid ingredients and liquid
results in a soup with a pleasing, robust flavor.
• Optionally, for extra richness, a bit of softened butter
can be montéed on the soup just before service.
Hearty Broths
• Hearty broths are based on clear broths or stock and
have more flavor, texture, and body than clear broths.
• Vegetables are cut into uniform size and simmered in
the soup until tender.
• Meats, grains, and pasta are
frequently included to add body.
• These soups lack the clarity of
broth or consommé because of the
additional ingredients cooked
directly in the broth.
Basic Procedure for Making Hearty Broths
1. Sweat or brown the aromatic vegetables before adding the
broth.
2. Add the vegetables in a staggered manner, so they all
finish cooking properly at the same time.
3. Add liquid and bring to a simmer
4. Add meats, grains or starches and simmer until cooked.
5. Stir, skim and check the seasoning throughout the
cooking time.
6. Puree some of the soup as a finishing step. (Optional)
7. Evaluate the quality of the finished hearty broth.
Qualities of the Finished Hearty Broth
• The finished soup should have a rich color, flavor, and
aroma.
• Unlike vegetable soups, some of the vegetables may be
pureed and become part of the soup itself and give it
texture and body.
• When cooked properly, vegetables should have
appealing colors.
• Meats, poultry, fish and starchy ingredients such as
potatoes and beans, should hold their shape but have
a very soft texture.
Bisques
• Bisques are thickened soup made from shellfish. They
are usually prepared like cream soups and are almost
always finished with cream.
• Bisques are traditionally based on
crustaceans, such as shrimp,
lobster, or crayfish, and thickened
with rice, rice flour, or bread.
• In fact, the term bisque is derived
from the use of dry bread, called
biscuit in French, as the thickener.
Basic Procedure for Making Bisques
1. Rinse the shells well and chop larger shells, such as crab
or lobster.
2. Sear the crustacean shells until brown, then set aside.
3. Cook the aromatic ingredients in the same pan to develop
a good flavor base.
4. Return the crustacean shells to the pan and continue
roasting.
5. Add tomato paste and pincé.
6. Add brandy and flambé, or wine and reduce au sec.
7. Gradually add the base liquid, bring to a simmer, stirring,
skimming and checking seasoning throughout the cooking
time.
8. Puree the soup, strain, temper cream and adjust the
seasoning and consistency.
9. Evaluate the quality of the finished bisque.
Qualities of the Finished Bisque

•  A good bisque reflects the flavor of the main

ingredient. If adding cream to round out and
mellow the soup, make sure it does not mask the
main flavor.
• All bisques are slightly coarse or grainy, with a
consistency similar to heavy cream.
• A crustacean bisque is pale pink or red in color
and a shellfish bisque ivory color.
Chowders
• Chowders are hearty American soups made from
shellfish, fish and/or vegetables. Although they are
made in different ways, they usually contain milk or
potatoes.
• Chowders got their name from the
French word chaudiere, a kettle in
which fisherman made their stews.
• Classically, chowders were made from
seafood and included pork, potatoes
and onions, though it is not
uncommon for any thick, rich and
chunky soup to be called a chowder.
Basic Procedure for Making Chowders
1. Render the salt pork or bacon and sweat the
aromatics.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and sweat or brown.
3. Dust with flour and continue cooking to make a
blonde roux.
4. Add liquid and bring to a simmer, stirring, skimming
and checking seasoning throughout the cooking time.
5. Make final adjustments to flavor, garnish, and serve
the broth.
6. Evaluate the quality of the finished chowder.
Qualities of the Finished Chowder
• Good chowders have a rich flavor, balancing the
main flavoring ingredient(s) and supporting
aromatic and finishing flavors, a velvety texture,
and a lightly thickened consistency, similar to
heavy cream.
• Very thick chowders often have a pasty feel and
taste due to either too much thickener or to
overcooking.
• Disappointing flavor and color indicate that not
enough of the main flavoring ingredient(s) was
used or too much liquid was added.
Specialty and National Soups

• This is a catch all category that includes soups

that don’t fit well into the main categories and
soups that are native to particular countries or
regions. Specialty soups are distinguished by
unusual ingredients or methods. They include:
• Cold/Chilled Soups.
• National Soups.
Cold/Chilled Soups
• These are chilled versions of a cream soup, or
vegetable or fruit purees that do not need further
cooking. They may either be cooked or uncooked.
Other than the fact that they are cold, they are
difficult to classify because many of them use unique
or combination preparation method.
Examples include:
• Vichyssoise – cold potato & leek
• Cold fruit soup
• Jellied Consommé
National Soups
• National soups are soups that were originally regional
specialties, which because of their ingredients and
preparation became famous beyond their region.
• National soups reflect the native eating habits of the
homeland and, on the menu, should therefore be
written in the language of that country.
• Many national soups are stewlike casseroles and take
the place of a meal. Extra consideration should be
given to these factors when they are added to the
menu, and the portion size should reflect the
composition.
National Soups
Basler A brown-roux based soup with lots of onions,
Mehlsuppe pureed, and flavored with red wine and grated
(Switzerland) cheese.
Borscht A Polish or Russian soup made with fresh
(Russia/Poland) beets, shredded cabbage, and/or other
vegetables, with or without meat; it is served
with mushrooms, tomatoes, and sometimes
fried eggplants.

Bouillabaise A fish soup with mussels, crayfish, vegetable

(France) julienne, and diced tomatoes. It is flavored with
saffron and Pernod, and served with Rouille.
Barley Soup A grisons barley soup with diced vegetables,
(Switzerland) air-dried beef, white beans, and smoked raw
ham. It is enriched with a liaison.
National Soups
Busecca A vegetable soup with diced tomato, borlotti
(Italy) beans, and strips of tripe. Flavored with pesto
Caldo Verde A soup made with potatoes, onions and kale. Its
(Portugal/Brazil) common flavoring ingredients are garlic and salt.
Slices of chouriço or linguiça are usually added, as
well as olive oil. It is usually accompanied by slices
of Portuguese broa bread on the side for dipping.

Clear Oxtail Soup A soup made from oxtail and calves’ feet that are
(England) made like a jus. The jus is clarified with beef and
flavored with sherry. The oxtail meat is removed
from the bone, pressed, diced, and added as a
garnish.

French Onion Soup A soup made with meat broth and sautéed
(France) caramelized onions. It is served with cheese toast
au gratin.
National Soups
Gazpacho A cold Spanish soup made of uncooked
(Spain) tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers,
onions, oil and vinegar and traditionally
thickened with bread crumbs or slices of
breads.
Gulyas/Goulash A Hungarian soup made with beef,
(Hungary) vegetables and flavored with Hungarian
sweet paprika.
Minestrone A tomato-based vegetable soup with beans
(Italy) and pasta, often flavored with pesto.
Mulligatawny A spicy soup from southern India consisting
(India) of meat or vegetable broth flavored with
curry and garnished with chicken, meats,
rice, eggs, coconut shreds and cream.
National Soups
Scotch Broth A Scottish soup made with lamb or mutton,
(Scotland) barley and various vegetables. It is also known as
barley broth.
Seafood Gumbo A Louisianan soup made of shellfish, okra,
(USA) tomatoes and onions flavored with bay leaves,
Worcestershire sauce and cayenne.
Tom Yum A distinct hot and sour soup, with fragrant herbs
(Thailand/Laos) generously used. The basic broth is made of
stock and fresh ingredients such as lemon grass,
kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lime juice, fish sauce
and crushed chili peppers. It is usually made with
prawns (tom yum goong), chicken (tom yum gai),
fish (tom yum pa in Lao and tom yum pla in
Thai), or mixed seafood (tom yum talay or tom
yum po taek).
Troubleshooting Soups
• Adjusting Consistency. For a soup that is too thick, add
broth or water to thin the soup and then recheck the
seasoning. For a soup that is too thin, add a small
amount of pure starch slurry.
• Adjusting Flavoring and Seasoning. Meat or poultry
glaze may be added to bolster a weak broth or consommé
flavor, however, this will affect the clarity. Chopped fresh
herbs, a few drops of lemon juice, Tabasco sauce,
Worcestershire sauce, or grated citrus zest may be added
to brighten a soup’s flavor.
Finishing Soups
• The following considerations are important for finishing a
soup:
• Seasoning – Make any final adjustments to the soup’s seasoning
after the soup is finished with cream or liaison.
• Enriching – Richness and body can be added to soup by:
• Monter au beurre – whisking soft or cold butter to the soup
to give shine and richness.
• Tempering – equalizing the temperature of cream or liaison
with a small amount of hot soup before adding it back.
• Garnishing – Aside from adding visual appeal, garnishes can add
texture and flavor to the finished soup.
Garnishing Soups
• Garnishes may provide contrasts of flavor and texture or they may
introduce a complementary flavor or color to a soup. In all cases,
they should be thoughtfully selected, well-prepared and well-
seasoned.
 Garnishes, specially vegetables, should be cut into neat, even shapes.
 Large garnishes, such as dumplings or wontons, should overwhelm the soup cup or
plate selected for service or difficult for the guest to eat.
 Bring the garnish to service temperature before adding it to the soup.
 Croutons are a common garnish, and they may be an integral part of the preparation,
as in onion soup.
• Other garnishes, such as pesto, grated cheese, bacon bits, slivered almonds, or even
beaten eggs, can be added to soups just before they are served.
• Purees of red peppers, chiles, tomato, or sorrel may also be added at the last moment
for a dash of color and flavor.
• Fortified wines, vinegar, or citrus juices are all common choices for last minute flavor
adjustment.
Serving Soups
Temperature
• It is vital that soups be served at the correct
temperature: hot soups hot and cold soups cold.
• Hot Clear soups: 210˚F
• Hot Thick Soups: 190˚F-200˚F
• Cold soups: 41˚F or less
• Cold soups should be thoroughly chilled and
served in chilled cups, bowls, or glasses. Hot
soups should be served very hot in heated bowls
or cups.
Serving Soups
Accompaniments
• Soups can be served with accompaniments to
give additional texture and provide flavor contrast
to the soups. Usual accompaniments may
include:
• Melba toast • Profiteroles
• Corn chips • Whole grain waffle
• Bread sticks • Crostini
• Cheese straws • Bruschetta.
• Cheese tuiles
Serving Soups

Portion Size
• The serving size or portion size of a soup may
vary depending on the course in which it will be
served. When served on a buffet, portion size may
be smaller than usual.
• Appetizer : 200 – 250 ml
• Main Course : 300 – 350 ml