Instant soup

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Instant soup
Singapore Curry Flavoured Noodles, -Mar. 2011 a.jpg
A cup of instant ramen noodle soup
Type Soup
Courselesson
Serving temperatureHot
Main ingredientsDry soup stock or powder, dehydrated vegetables and meats, preservatives; Various standard soup ingredients are used in prepared canned varieties
VariationsDried, canned, paste

Instant soup is a type of soup designed for fast and simple preparation. Some are homemade, [1] and some are mass-produced on an industrial scale and treated in various ways to preserve them. A wide variety of types, styles and flavors of instant soups exist. Commercial instant soups are usually dried or dehydrated, canned, or treated by freezing.

Contents

Types

Campbell's condensed canned soup Campbells.jpg
Campbell's condensed canned soup
Instant tempura udon, with the tempura and soup packaging Instant sanuke tempura udon 1.JPG
Instant tempura udon, with the tempura and soup packaging
Erbswurst, a traditional instant pea soup from Germany, was sold as a concentrated paste. Erbswurst (cropped).jpg
Erbswurst, a traditional instant pea soup from Germany, was sold as a concentrated paste.

Commercial instant soups are manufactured in several types. Some consist of a packet of dry soup stock. These do not contain water, and are prepared by adding water and then heating the product for a short time, or by adding hot water directly to the dry soup mix. Instant soup can also be produced in a dry powder form, [1] such as Unilever's Cup-a-Soup.

Instant soup in a powder form Soup powder.jpg
Instant soup in a powder form

Canned (tinned) instant soups contain liquid soup that is prepared by heating their contents. Some canned soups are condensed, and require additional water to bring them to their intended strength, while others are canned in a ready-to-eat, single-strength form. Dr. John T. Dorrance, an employee with the Campbell Soup Company, invented condensed soup in 1897. [2] Consumers sometimes use condensed soups (without diluting them), as a sauce base. [3] Some instant liquid soups are manufactured in microwaveable containers. [3] Additionally, some instant soups, such as Knorr's Erbswurst, are prepared in a concentrated paste form. Knorr ceased production of Erbswurst on December 31, 2018. [4]

Instant noodle soups such as Cup Noodles contain dried instant ramen noodles, dehydrated vegetable and meat products, and seasonings, and are prepared by adding hot water. Packaged instant ramen noodle soup is typically formed as a cake, and often includes a seasoning packet that is added to the noodles and water during preparation. [5] Some also include separate packets of oil and garnishes used to season the product. [5] Momofuku Ando, the founder of Nissin Foods, [6] developed packaged ramen noodle soup in 1958. [5]

Varieties

A multitude of instant soup varieties exist. For example, there are several Lipton and Knorr-brand dry instant soups, such as onion, vegetable, tomato beef and cream of spinach. [7] Instant miso soup is generally manufactured in two forms, one as miso paste with preserved vegetable condiments, generally of the shiro (white) kind, and the other as granulated miso. One of the primary uses of dehydrated miso is for the production of instant miso soup. [8] Chicken, beef and seafood/shrimp are the most popular flavors by consumers of ramen noodle instant soups. [5]

Manufacture

Commercially prepared instant soups are usually dried or dehydrated, canned, or treated by freezing. Some dry instant soups are prepared with thickening ingredients, such as pregelatinized starch, that function at a lower temperature [9] compared to others. Additional ingredients used in commercial instant soups to contribute to their consistency include maltodextrins, emulsified fat powders, sugars, potato starch, xanthan gum, and guar gum. [3] Sometimes ingredients used in dry instant soups are ground into fragments, which enables them to be dissolved [9] when water is added. These particulates are sometimes prepared using freeze-drying and puff drying. [3]

Freeze drying is a recent dehydration breakthrough method that is restricted to high-value foods due to the high cost associated with the process. Despite its cost, freeze-drying is very effective in retaining the overall quality and nutritional value of the food through a process called sublimation, where water is removed (evaporated) from food in its frozen state without the transition through the liquid state. Removing water from food prevents spoilage as it does not give an environment that favors the growth of spoilage-causing microorganisms such as bacteria, mould, and yeast. Freeze-drying also reduces the total weight of the food, especially fruit and vegetables that are mostly water, thus making the transportation of these products more efficient. Vegetables used in instant soup mixes often undergo freeze-drying which helps them retain their nutritional value, texture, and flavor. Furthermore, as the food remains rigid during dehydration, subliming water creates holes where the evaporated ice crystals used to be. This allows freeze-dried foods such as vegetables to retain their shape without shrinkage, and these foods rehydrate completely when water is added to the mix that fills the voids left by the subliming water. Due to the reduced water content of the freeze-dried foods that inhibit the growth of microorganisms and prevent enzymatic chemical reactions, these foods are considered shelf-stable and can be kept safe from spoilage for years by preventing the reabsorption of moisture. Freeze-dried foods can be stored at room temperature without the need for refrigeration. [10]

Although uncommon compared to most applications, sometimes a seasoning solution is sprayed directly onto ramen noodles to enhance their flavor, prior to being packaged. [5] Flavor ingredients used in instant ramen noodle soup include dried vegetables and meats, salt, MSG, onion, garlic, yeast extract, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, essential oil extracts and natural or synthetic flavor compounds. [5] Essential oils derived from onion, garlic and clove are sometimes used as flavorings for instant ramen soup, and may be manufactured using expeller pressing or solvent extraction and distillation. [5] Sophisticated methods exist that create flavor compounds, or complex flavors, for the flavoring of instant ramen noodle soups, in which volatile compounds from substances are isolated and reconstituted to create seasoning blends. [5] Techniques to create flavor compounds for instant ramen soups include gas chromatography utilized with mass spectrometry and olfactometry. [5] Ramen noodle soup seasoning packets may also contain anticaking agents and flow agents to prevent the product from clumping into a solid mass. [5]

Uses

Besides being used to prepare soup, instant soups are often used as an ingredient in cooking. Condensed cream of mushroom soup is particularly popular for making casseroles. [11] Dehydrated onion soup mix is used to prepare French onion dip.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramen</span> Japanese dish of Chinese origin consisting of wheat noodles in a meat or fish broth

Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a broth; common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including sliced pork, nori, menma, and scallions. Ramen has its roots in Chinese noodle dishes and is a part of Japanese Chinese cuisine. Nearly every region in Japan has its own variation of ramen, such as the tonkotsu ramen of Kyushu and the miso ramen of Hokkaido.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicken soup</span> Soup made from chicken

Chicken soup is a soup made from chicken, simmered in water, usually with various other ingredients. The classic chicken soup consists of a clear chicken broth, often with pieces of chicken or vegetables; common additions are pasta, noodles, dumplings, or carrots, and grains such as rice and barley. Chicken soup is commonly considered a comfort food.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miso soup</span> Japanese soup flavored with miso

Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup consisting of miso paste mixed with a dashi stock. Optional ingredients based on region and season may be added, such as wakame, tofu, negi, abura-age, mushrooms, etc. Along with suimono, miso soup is considered to be one of the two basic soup types of Japanese cuisine. It is a representative of soup dishes served with rice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Food drying</span> Method of food preservation

Food drying is a method of food preservation in which food is dried. Drying inhibits the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and mold through the removal of water. Dehydration has been used widely for this purpose since ancient times; the earliest known practice is 12,000 B.C. by inhabitants of the modern Middle East and Asia regions. Water is traditionally removed through evaporation by using methods such as air drying, sun drying, smoking or wind drying, although today electric food dehydrators or freeze-drying can be used to speed the drying process and ensure more consistent results.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bouillon cube</span> Cooking ingredient

A bouillon cube is dehydrated broth or stock formed into a small cube or other cuboid shape. The most common format is a cube about 13 mm wide. It is typically made from dehydrated vegetables or meat stock, a small portion of fat, MSG, salt, and seasonings, shaped into a small cube. Vegetarian and vegan types are also made. Bouillon is also available in granular, powdered, liquid, and paste forms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noodle soup</span> Variety of soups with noodles and other ingredients served in a light broth

Noodle soup refers to a variety of soups with noodles and other ingredients served in a light broth. Noodle soup is a common dish across East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Himalayan states of South Asia. Various types of noodles are used, such as rice noodles, wheat noodles and egg noodles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Onion powder</span> Dried ground onion commonly used as a seasoning

Onion powder is dehydrated, ground onion that is commonly used as a seasoning. It is a common ingredient in seasoned salt and spice mixes, such as beau monde seasoning. Some varieties are prepared using toasted onion. White, yellow and red onions may be used. Onion powder is a commercially prepared food product that has several culinary uses. Onion powder can also be homemade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese regional cuisine</span>

Japanese cuisine has a vast array of regional specialities known as kyōdo ryōri (郷土料理) in Japanese, many of them originating from dishes prepared using local ingredients and traditional recipes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soup</span> Primarily liquid food

Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot, that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth. Soups are similar to stews, and in some cases there may not be a clear distinction between the two; however, soups generally have more liquid (broth) than stews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prawn soup</span>

Prawn soup, also referred to as shrimp soup, is a soup dish prepared using freshwater or saltwater prawns as a primary ingredient. Several varieties of the dish exist in various areas of the world, including Penang prawn mee in Malaysia, Peruvian chupe de camarones, Thai kaeng som kung and Mexican caldo de camarones. Prawn and shrimp soup can be prepared as a broth- or stock-based soup, as a cream-based soup, or as a chowder. In the United States, cream of shrimp soup is mass-produced and distributed canned or frozen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Instant noodles</span> Noodles sold in a precooked and dried block with flavoring

Instant noodles, or instant ramen, is a type of food consisting of noodles sold in a precooked and dried block with flavoring powder and/or seasoning oil. The dried noodle block was originally created by flash-frying cooked noodles, and this is still the main method used in Asian countries; air-dried noodle blocks are favored in Western countries. Dried noodle blocks are designed to be cooked or soaked in boiling water before eating. Ramen, a Japanese adaptation of Chinese noodle soup, is sometimes used as a descriptor for instant noodle flavors by some Japanese manufacturers. It has become synonymous in the United States with all instant noodle products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luosifen</span> Chinese rice noodle dish originated from Liuzhou, Guangxi

Luosifen is a Chinese noodle soup and specialty of Liuzhou, Guangxi. The dish consists of rice noodles boiled and served in a soup. The stock that forms the soup is made by stewing river snails and pork bones for several hours with black cardamom, fennel seed, dried tangerine peel, cassia bark, cloves, white pepper, bay leaf, licorice root, sand ginger, and star anise. It usually does not contain snail meat, but it is instead served with pickled bamboo shoot, pickled green beans, shredded wood ear, fu zhu, fresh green vegetables, peanuts, and chili oil added to the soup. Many often recognize this noodle dish as something stinky. This dish is full of umami and attracts many not just in China but also outside of China to visit just for this dish. Diners can also add chili, green onions, white vinegar, and green peppers to suit their taste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vegetable soup</span> Type of soup containing vegetables

Vegetable soup is a common soup prepared using vegetables and leaf vegetables as primary ingredients. It dates to ancient history, and is a mass-produced food product in contemporary times.

References

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  10. "Freeze Drying Dehydration". 22 August 2002. Archived from the original on 2015-04-16. Retrieved 2015-04-30.
  11. Walsh, Robb (November 20, 2008). "Thanksgiving Slumming with Cream of Mushroom Soup". Eating Our Words: The Houston Press Food Blog. Houston Press. Archived from the original on 2009-09-09. Retrieved 2009-04-09. Then he said something I've never forgotten, 'Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup is America's béchamel.'

Further reading

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Instant soups at Wikimedia Commons