Soups and Sauces Foods and Nutrition

What is soup? Soup is basically a liquid with something to thicken it. Soup variation comes from the proportion of one ingredient to the other and the creativity of the Chef!

2 Main Types of Soups are: Stock/broth based or Cream based Stock or broth based: A flavorful liquid made by simmering meat, poultry, fish or vegetables in water. Home made stocks are a great way to get rid of food scraps. Think of turkey soup after Thanksgiving! Stocks and broths can also be purchased in canned or boxed forms, or in dried buillon forms. 4 mains stocks/broths are: Poultry Beef Vegetable Fish

2. Cream Based Soups: These are milk based soups that are usually thickened by adding flour to the base. The mixture of ingredients in these soups are often pureed. Think of Lobster Bisque!

Variations of these soups include: Chunky Soups: These have tons of vegetables and can be a meal in a bowl since they are so hearty. Examples would be Chowders, Mulligatawny and Minestrone.

Fruit Soups: These may served hot or cold. These soups are usually pureed and flavored with spices. They may be thickened with corn starch, gelatin, buttermilk or yogurt.

Cold Soups: Cold vegetable soups can be a refreshing beginning to a meal. Many cold soup recipes originated in hot climates. Examples: Vichyssoise and Gazpacho

Also in the Soup family: Stews: Any dish prepared by stewing or simmering small pieces of food in a tightly covered pan. Most stews include vegetables and some type of meat, poultry or fish. Other names for stews include: Ragout(usually includes meat) Fricasse(usually includes poultry) Some ethnic stews we might be familiar with: Goulash, Irish Stew, Dovi (Zimbabwe), Isreali wheatberry, Posole(Mexican), Burgoo(Kentucky).

Closely related to soups: Sauces: These were invented to cover up the taste of food that was going bad. Now we use them to enhance the flavor of food. Sauces are flavored liquids that are often thickened. Basic Sauces Include: Hollandaise Basic white sauce Light and brown sauce Stock based sauces Tomato based sauces(Yes even Ketchup!) Salad dressings

Nutrient contribution: By adding vegetables to your soup vitamins By adding meat to your soup protein By adding pasta or rice to your soup carbohydrates By eating milk based soups calcium, vitamins and protein

Techniques in Soup Preparation: In this unit we will be focusing on 3 techniques for soup making: Mirepoix Slurry Roux

Mirepoix A mixture of chopped Onions, Carrots and Celery (known as aromatics) usually sautéed in butter or oil and used as a flavor base for many soups and stocks. We will be using a Mirepoix for our Chicken Noodle Soup Lab.

Slurry A mixture of cornstarch and liquid used to thicken a sauce. This technique will be used in our Egg Drop Soup Lab.

Roux Made using equal parts fat and flour to thicken soups and sauces. This technique is usually used for chowders.

Soups to know: Bisque: A milk based soup often made from thickened milk and seafood or shellfish.

Borscht A Russian Soup often served cold made primarily with beets and sour cream.

Bouillon A clear soup made from meat. Can be concentrated.

Broth/Stock The liquid obtained by simmering meat or poultry, boned and vegetables in water. It is strained and fat removed and used as 4 types: Beef, Poultry, Fish and Vegetable Can be made from scratch or purchased pre made

Brunswick Stew A southern stew featuring two types of meat and vegetables.

Burgoo A famous Kentucky stew usually made from several kinds of meat and a variety of vegetables. Usually highly spiced.

Chili Con Carne A spicy Mexican-American dish of beef, tomatoes and beans.

Chowder A milk based soup mad from UN- THICKENED milk, fish, shellfish or vegetables. Clam Chowder is an example.

Cioppino An Italian based fisherman’s chowder or stew containing various kinds of seafood “chipped in” at the end of the day. Popular at the Fisherman’s Warf, San Francisco.

Consommé A clear soup made from meat and vegetables. Can be jellied.

Gazpacho A Spanish vegetable soup that can be served hot or cold.

Bouillabaisse A French Fisherman’s chowder. Tomato based with shrimp, mussels, and various of types of seafood. Also served in New Orleans.

Stew A combination of meat and vegetables and a small amount of liquid, simmered slowly to tenderize.

Vichyssoise A French cold and creamy potato soup.

Scalloped Cream soups used as an ingredient in Casseroles.

Mulligatawny An Indian meat(usually lamb) and vegetable soup.

Minestrone A rich thick Italian vegetable soup, often contains beans and pasta.