Classifying Soups Without Stock

Instructions

1. 1Cream soups are made of vegetables or fish, with milk, and a small amount of cream and seasonings. They are always thickened. To make a basic cream soup, start by sautéing your chosen vegetables (e.g., onions, carrots, celery) in butter until softened. Add vegetable or fish broth (if using), milk, and seasonings. Simmer until the vegetables are tender. Thicken with a roux (butter and flour) or cornstarch slurry. Finish with a swirl of cream before serving.
2. 2Purées are made from vegetables or fish, forced through a strainer, and retained in soup, milk, and seasonings. They are generally thicker than cream soup. Sometimes White Stock is added. To make a purée, cook your chosen vegetables or fish until very tender. Blend the cooked ingredients with milk or broth until smooth. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer or food mill to remove any lumps or skins. Season to taste and add white stock if desired.
3. 3Bisques are generally made from shell-fish, milk, and seasonings, and served with fish dice; made similarly to purées. They may be made of meat, game, or vegetables, with small dice of the same. To make a bisque, start by sautéing aromatics like onions, celery, and carrots in butter. Add your chosen shellfish (e.g., shrimp, lobster, crab) and cook until pink. Deglaze the pot with wine or sherry. Add broth or stock and simmer until the shellfish is cooked through. Remove the shellfish and set aside. Blend the soup until smooth and strain it through a fine-mesh strainer. Return the soup to the pot and add milk or cream. Season to taste. Dice the reserved shellfish meat and add it back to the soup before serving.
4. 4Various names have been given to soups, according to their flavorings, chief ingredients, the people who use them, etc. To the Scotch belongs Scotch Broth; to the French, Pot-au-feu; to the Indo, Mulligatawny; and to the Spanish, Olla Podrida.