 Soup
is usually a savory liquid food that is made
by combining ingredients, such as meat,
vegetables and beans in stock or hot water,
until the flavor is extracted, forming a
broth. Boiling was not a common cooking
technique until the invention of waterproof
containers (which probably came in the form
of pouches made of clay or animal skin)
about 5,000 years ago (possibly longer), so
soups presumably were little-known before
that time.
Over the centuries, the terms gruel and
potage have become separated from broth and
stock (and their refinement, consommé). The
language may have shifted over time, but the
modern definitions of soup and stew were
established in the 18th century: soups
usually are more liquid; stews are thicker,
containing more solid ingredients. Stews are
cooked in covered containers for longer
periods of time, at a gentle boil with less
water and at a lower heat.
Traditionally, soups are classified into two
broad 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
thickened with cream; cream soups are
thickened with béchamel sauce; and veloutés
are thickened with eggs, butter and cream.
Other ingredients commonly used to thicken
soups and broths include rice, flour, and
grain. |
