It may seem rather silly to define soup, since it's so elementary. But, how about gazpacho, bouillabaisse or bisque? What's the difference between a soup and a stew or consommé and bouillon? If you arrived here via a search engine, don't miss my complete article Soup For All Seasons. Below is a list of some common and not-so-common variations on the soup theme. Click on the highlighted links to find a corresponding recipe example. Use your browser's BACK button to navigate between this glossary and the recipe links.
a French soup made with mussels, onions, wine, cream and seasonings. The classic recipe strains the mussels to leave a smooth soup, but the mussels are often left in as an added bonus these days. (Also "billi-bi")
a soup from Russia and Poland made with fresh beets, assorted vegetables, and sometimes with meat and/or meat stock, usually garnished with a dollop of sour cream and served either hot or cold.
a hearty squirrel meat and onion stew originating in Brunswick County, Virginia, USA. Modern versions substitute chicken or rabbit for the squirrel and may also add other vegetables such as okra, lima beans, tomatoes and corn.
a thick stew of a combination of meats, including pork, veal, beef, lamb and poultry, with various vegetables including potatoes, onions, cabbage, carrots, sweet green peppers, corn, okra, lima beans and celery; originally made with small game such as rabbit and squirrel and popular in the Kentucky region of the USA.
originally this term referred to the juices from cooked meats. It can also be a thick pureed shellfish soup. Nowadays, many different types of thick purees are called coulis, including vegetable and fruit mixtures.
a broth made from cooking various vegetables and herbs, usually an onion studded with a few whole cloves, celery, carrots and bouquet garni (parsley, thyme and bay leaf), perhaps with a little wine, lemon juice or vinegar; used as a poaching base for fish, seafood or vegetables.
an uncooked soup made of a pureed mixture of fresh tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, onions, celery, cucumber, bread crumbs, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and sometimes lemon juice which is served cold; also served chunky-style. You may also see this spelled "gaspacho."
a rich meat or vegetable broth highly seasoned with curry and other spices with bits of poulty or other meats and can include rice, eggs, coconut shreds and/or cream; originally from India.
a Mexican thick, hearty soup made of pork or chicken meat and broth, hominy, onion, garlic, dried chiles and cilantro and served with chopped lettuce, radishes, onions, cheese and cilantro as optional additions at the table.
a dish containing meat, vegetables and a thick soup-like broth made from a combination of the stewing liquid and the natural juices of the food being stewed.
a Chinese favorite made of won tons (bite-size dumplings filled with a minced mixture of meat, seafood and/or vegetables) cooked in and served in a clear broth flavored with various ingredients such as scallions, celery and soy sauce.
I've been assisted in these definitions by a fabulous culinary dictionary that no serious cook should be without The New Food Lover's Companion by Sharon Tyler Herbst (Barrons Educational Series).
Note: These links were all current at the time of this writing. However, it is the nature of web pages to move or disappear. If you find a link here is no longer viable at the time of your reading, please send me email. I will attempt to hunt it down or find a substitute for you.
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