Soup

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Soup
Asparagus soup (spargelsuppe).jpg
Asparagus soup
TypeSoup
Main ingredients Liquid (stock, juice, water), meat or vegetables or other ingredients
VariationsClear soup, thick soup

Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but may be cool or cold), 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. [1]

Contents

In traditional French cuisine, soups are classified into two main groups: clear soups and thick soups. The established French classifications of clear soups are bouillon and consommé . Thick soups are classified depending upon the type of thickening agent used: purées are vegetable soups thickened with starch; bisques are made from puréed shellfish or vegetables thickened with cream; cream soups may be thickened with béchamel sauce; and veloutés are thickened with eggs, butter, and cream. Other ingredients commonly used to thicken soups and broths include rice, lentils, flour, and grains; many popular soups also include pumpkin, carrots, potatoes, pig's trotters and bird's nests. [2]

Other types of soup include fruit soups, dessert soups, pulse soups like split pea, cold soups and other styles.

History

Soup
(William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1865) William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905) - Soup (1865).jpg
Soup
(William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1865)

The earliest evidence for soup in human culinary practice dates to the Upper Palaeolithic period when thermally altered rocks became commonplace in the archaeological record. [3] [4] Small boiling pits are present on the Gravettian site Pavlov VI. [5] Cobbles were heated on the hearth and then placed into the water to bring it to boil. However, the antiquity of soup is highly contested. Based on ethnographic evidence, some archaeologists conjecture that early humans employed hides and watertight baskets to boil water. [6]

The word soup comes from French soupe ("soup", "broth"), which comes through Vulgar Latin suppa ("bread soaked in broth") from a Germanic source, from which also comes the word "sop", a piece of bread used to soak up soup or a thick stew.

The word restaurant (meaning "[something] restoring") was first used in France in the 16th century, to refer to a highly concentrated, inexpensive soup, sold by street vendors, that was advertised as an antidote to physical exhaustion.[ citation needed ] In 1765, according to Prosper Montagné's Larousse Gastronomique, a Parisian entrepreneur opened a shop specializing in such soups. This prompted the use of the modern word restaurant to refer to eating establishments. [7]

In the US, the first colonial cookbook was published by William Parks in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1742, based on Eliza Smith's The Compleat Housewife; or Accomplished Gentlewoman's Companion , and it included several recipes for soups and bisques. A 1772 cookbook, The Frugal Housewife, contained an entire chapter on the topic. English cooking dominated early colonial cooking; but as new immigrants arrived from other countries, other national soups gained popularity. In particular, German immigrants living in Pennsylvania were famous for their potato soups. In 1794, Jean Baptiste Gilbert Payplat dis Julien, a refugee from the French Revolution, opened an eating establishment in Boston called "The Restorator", and became known as the "Prince of Soups". The first American cooking pamphlet dedicated to soup recipes was written in 1882 by Emma Ewing: Soups and Soup Making.

Portable soup was devised in the 18th century by boiling seasoned meat until a thick, resinous syrup was left that could be dried and stored for months at a time.[ citation needed ]

Commercial products

An advertisement for Campbell's canned soup, c. 1913 Joseph Campbell Company (3093577454).jpg
An advertisement for Campbell's canned soup, c.1913

Commercial soup became popular with the invention of canning in the 19th century, and today a great variety of canned and dried soups are on the market.

Canned

Canned soup can be condensed, in which case it is prepared by adding water (or sometimes milk) or it can be "ready-to-eat", meaning that no additional liquid is needed before eating. Condensed soup (invented in 1897 by John T. Dorrance, a chemist with the Campbell Soup Company [8] [9] ) allows soup to be packaged into a smaller can and sold at a lower price than other canned soups. The soup is usually doubled in volume by adding a "can full" of water or milk, about 10 US fluid ounces (300 ml). The "ready-to-eat" variant can be prepared by simply heating the contents of the can on a kitchen stove or in a microwave oven, rather than actually cooking anything. Such soups can be used as a base for homemade soups, with the consumer adding anything from a few vegetables to eggs, meat, cream or pasta.

Since the 1990s, the canned soup market has burgeoned, with non-condensed soups marketed as "ready-to-eat", so they require no additional liquid to prepare.[ citation needed ] Microwaveable bowls have expanded the "ready-to-eat" canned soup market even more, offering convenience (especially in workplaces), and making for popular lunch items. In response to concerns over the negative health effects of excessive salt intake, some soup manufacturers have introduced reduced-salt versions of popular soups. [10]

Today, Campbell's Tomato (introduced in 1897), Cream of Mushroom, and Chicken Noodle (introduced in 1934) are three of the most popular soups in America. Americans consume approximately 2.5 billion bowls of these three soups alone each year. [8] Other popular brands of soup include Progresso.

Dried

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

Dry soup mixes are sold by many manufacturers, and are reconstituted with hot water; other fresh ingredients may then be added.

The first dried soup was bouillon cubes; the earlier meat extract did not require refrigeration, but was a viscous liquid.

East Asian-style instant noodle soups include ramen and seasonings, and are marketed as a convenient and inexpensive instant meal, requiring only hot water for preparation. [11] While North American ones tend to have a powder pack only, instant noodles sold in East Asia commonly include a pack of dried vegetables too.

Western-style dried soups include vegetable, chicken base, potato, pasta and cheese flavors.

Types

Soup course Soup Course New.jpg
Soup course

In French cuisine, soup is often served before other dishes in a meal. In 1970, Richard Olney gave the place of the entrée in a French full menu: "A dinner that begins with a soup and runs through a fish course, an entrée, a sorbet, a roast, salad, cheese and dessert, and that may be accompanied by from three to six wines, presents a special problem of orchestration". [12]

Dessert

Fruit

Fruit soups are prepared using fruit as a primary ingredient, and may be served warm or cold depending on the recipe. Many varieties of fruit soups exist, and they may be prepared based upon the availability of seasonal fruit.

Cold

Salmorejo is a thick variant of gazpacho originating from Andalusia. Salmorejo cordouan.JPG
Salmorejo is a thick variant of gazpacho originating from Andalusia.

Cold soups are a particular variation on the traditional soup, wherein the temperature when served is kept at or below room temperature. They may be sweet or savory. In summer, sweet cold soups can form part of a dessert tray. An example of a savory chilled soup is gazpacho , a chilled vegetable-based soup originating from Spain. [13] Vichyssoise is a cold purée of potatoes, leeks, and cream.

Asian

A feature of East Asian soups not normally found in Western cuisine is the use of tofu in soups. Many traditional East Asian soups are typically broths, "clear soups", or starch thickened soups.

Traditional regional varieties

Hippocrates soup used in Gerson therapy Hippocrates soup.jpg
Hippocrates soup used in Gerson therapy
Lentil clear soup from Medimurje County, Croatia Juha od lece.jpg
Lentil clear soup from Međimurje County, Croatia

As a figure of speech

Mirepoix consists of carrot, onion and celery and is often used for soup stocks and soups. Mirepoix(cuisine)-2009-04-06.jpg
Mirepoix consists of carrot, onion and celery and is often used for soup stocks and soups.

In the English language, the word soup has developed several uses in phrase.

The direct translation for soup in the Filipino language, sabaw, is used as a figure of speech, referring to moments where one is unable to think straight, as if one's brain is empty, much like a bowl of soup devoid of any ingredients. It can also refer to someone who says something that makes no sense, thereby referring to them as sabog. [25]

See also

Related Research Articles

<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 grains such as rice and barley. Chicken soup has acquired the reputation of a folk remedy for colds and influenza, and in many countries is considered a comfort food.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polish cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Poland

Polish cuisine is a style of food preparation originating in and widely popular in Poland. Due to Poland's history, Polish cuisine has evolved over the centuries to be very eclectic, and shares many similarities with other national cuisines. Polish cooking in other cultures is often referred to as à la polonaise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Russia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Czech cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of the Czech Republic

Czech cuisine has both influenced and been influenced by the cuisines of surrounding countries and nations. Many of the cakes and pastries that are popular in Central Europe originated within the Czech lands. Contemporary Czech cuisine is more meat-based than in previous periods; the current abundance of farmable meat has enriched its presence in regional cuisine. Traditionally, meat has been reserved for once-weekly consumption, typically on weekends.

<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">Belarusian cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Belarus

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korean Chinese cuisine</span> Cuisine of the ethnic Chinese in Korea

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soups in East Asian culture</span>

Soups in East Asian culture are eaten as one of the many main dishes in a meal or in some cases served straight with little adornment, particular attention is paid to the soups' stocks. In the case of some soups, the stock ingredients become part of the soup. They are usually based solely on broths and lacking in dairy products such as milk or cream. If thickened, the thickening usually consists of refined starches from corn or sweet potatoes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guatemalan cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Guatemala

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meatball</span> Dish of ground meat rolled into a ball

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stew</span> Combination of solid food ingredients

A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients can include any combination of vegetables and may include meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef, pork, venison, rabbit, lamb, poultry, sausages, and seafood. While water can be used as the stew-cooking liquid, stock is also common. A small amount of red wine or other alcohol is sometimes added for flavour. Seasonings and flavourings may also be added. Stews are typically cooked at a relatively low temperature, allowing flavours to mingle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indonesian noodles</span> Indonesian dish

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References

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Further reading