Comforting, easy to make, and perfect for using up whatever vegetables you have on hand, soups are true all-purpose staples in the kitchen.
But which vegetables should you choose to make a creamy, flavorful, and well-balanced soup? And by the way, what’s the difference between a soup, a potage, a velouté, and a consommé?
Before you break out the pot, here are a few tips, a bit of history, and some surprising facts about one of the oldest and most universal dishes there is.
In this article
- Soup, potage, velouté, cream soup, or consommé: what’s the difference?
- The Vegetables That Make the Best Potages
- The secret to a good soup: don’t just boil vegetables
- How can you make a truly creamy soup without adding cream?
- Did you know? Soup is probably one of humanity’s oldest dishes.
- Some of the world’s most amazing soups
- And what about a soup that’s been simmering for decades?
- Why is soup often better the next day?
- Don’t underestimate acidity
- Don't forget the toppings, either
- Soup is also a champion of reducing food waste.
- Soup Recipes to Try
Soup, potage, velouté, cream soup, or consommé: what’s the difference?
These words are often used as if they were interchangeable. However, in classical cuisine, they do not refer to exactly the same thing.
“Soup” is the most general term. It can be clear or thick and contain vegetables, legumes, pasta, rice, meat, or fish. It is not necessarily pureed.
“Potage” generally refers to a dish cooked in a liquid and often served hot. In modern usage, it is most commonly associated with a pureed vegetable soup, even though historically the word had a much broader meaning.
In classic French cuisine, “velouté” refers to a thickened preparation that results in a particularly smooth and silky texture. Today, the term is often used more loosely to describe a very fine and creamy soup.
“Crème” traditionally refers to a soup finished with cream.
“Consommé,” on the other hand, falls into a different category. It is a rich broth that is clarified to produce a clear, concentrated, and very flavorful liquid.
In other words: all potages can be considered soups in the broadest sense, but not all soups are potages.
The Vegetables That Make the Best Potages
Onions are a must-have for adding depth and enhancing the flavors of a soup.
Instead of simply boiling them with the other vegetables, sauté them gently in a little oil or butter before adding the liquid. This simple step brings out much more flavor.
Carrots: for a touch of sweetness
Mild and slightly sweet, carrots add both color and richness.
They pair especially well with ginger, cumin, cilantro, orange, curry, and even coconut milk.
Celery: for a touch of freshness
With its earthy, aromatic flavor, celery helps balance the flavors.
And don’t throw away the leaves! They can be added to the broth or used as a herb.
Potatoes: the secret to a creamy soup
You don’t need to add a lot of cream to achieve a velvety texture. Thanks to its starch, the potato naturally adds body and creaminess.
Be careful with the blender, though: blending a potato for too long can result in a sticky, rubbery texture. Blend only until you reach the desired consistency.
Butternut squash: sweet and comforting
With its slightly sweet flesh, which becomes naturally creamy when cooked, butternut squash is perfect for fall soups.
To bring out even more flavor, roast the squash in the oven before adding it to the soup.
Leeks: a mild and delicate flavor
More subtle than onions, leeks add a delicate flavor without overpowering the dish.
They are, of course, an essential ingredient in the classic Parmentier soup made with potatoes.
Garlic: to enhance flavors
Just a few cloves are enough to add a lot of flavor.
For a milder, almost sweet flavor, try using roasted garlic instead of raw garlic.
The secret to a good soup: don’t just boil vegetables
An excellent soup is built in stages. Start by sweating or lightly browning your aromatic vegetables: onion, leek, garlic, celery, or carrot.
You can then add the spices to heat them for a few seconds in the fat before adding the broth.
For certain vegetables like squash, carrots, cauliflower, or sweet potatoes, another technique is to roast them in the oven before making the soup.
The browning achieved in the oven brings out flavors that are completely different from those of a vegetable that’s simply boiled.
How can you make a truly creamy soup without adding cream?
Potatoes are the classic solution, but they’re far from the only option.
You can also try:
- white beans;
- red lentils;
- cauliflower;
- sweet potatoes;
- rice;
- cashews;
- a piece of bread;
- or simply a higher proportion of vegetables to broth.
A small amount of butter or olive oil added when blending can also give the soup a much silkier mouthfeel.
Did you know? Soup is probably one of humanity’s oldest dishes.
Cooking food in liquid is an extremely ancient practice.
As soon as humans had containers capable of holding water and withstanding heat, cooking water, plants, grains, meat, or fish together became a particularly efficient way to prepare a meal and extract the maximum from the available ingredients.
Soup therefore doesn’t truly belong to any one cuisine: it can be found in one form or another practically everywhere in the world.
Some of the world’s most amazing soups
Almost every culture has its own iconic soups, and some are particularly surprising.
In the Philippines, “Soup No. 5” is traditionally made with bull offal and has long been reputed to be an aphrodisiac.
In China and many Asian cuisines, sweet soups are served as desserts, made with ingredients such as red beans, black sesame seeds, or various seeds and grains.
In Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, some soups are made with fruit and can be served hot or cold.
And in Spain, gazpacho reminds us that a soup doesn’t have to be hot at all: tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, olive oil, and vinegar come together to create one of the world’s most famous cold soups.
And what about a soup that’s been simmering for decades?
The concept of a “perpetual stew” involves keeping a dish simmering and continually adding new ingredients and liquid to it.
This practice has existed in various forms throughout history and continues to fuel some astonishing culinary stories.
In fact, some restaurants have become famous for broths or dishes that they claim to have been simmering for years, using them as a base from one cooking session to the next.
An idea that seems strange today, but one that reminds us that before our modern refrigerators, food preservation and cooking methods were very different.
Why is soup often better the next day?
It’s not just a feeling.
As the soup rests, certain flavors continue to blend among the different ingredients. Spices, herbs, and fats blend together, and the overall flavor profile can become more balanced.
Some soups also thicken slightly in the refrigerator. This explains why many soups, sauces, and stews taste even better when reheated the next day.
Don’t underestimate acidity
Your soup tastes good, but it seems to be missing something? Before adding more salt, try a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar.
A touch of acidity can bring out the flavors, especially in rich, sweet, or very creamy soups. This works particularly well with squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, and legumes.
Don't forget the toppings, either
A perfectly smooth soup benefits greatly from being served with an element that adds contrast.
A few croutons, toasted pumpkin seeds, walnuts, crispy chickpeas, a drizzle of fragrant oil, crumbled cheese, fresh herbs, or even a few roasted vegetables can completely transform the dish.
Because a good soup shouldn’t just be flavorful—it can also have texture.
Soup is also a champion of reducing food waste.
A few wilted carrots? Half an onion? A piece of squash? The green part of a leek? A stalk of celery that’s starting to get soft?
You already have the beginnings of a soup.
Vegetables that have lost some of their crunch can often still be perfectly usable once cooked—provided, of course, that they show no signs of spoilage or mold.
Even broccoli and cauliflower stalks can be peeled, chopped, and added to a soup.
Soup Recipes to Try
Feel like getting in the kitchen? Check out our soup recipes for plenty of comforting ideas and to make the most of seasonal vegetables.
And the next time a few vegetables start to get a little bored in the fridge, don’t look too far—just grab a pot.
