Different classifications of soup
Define the two major visual/cooking classifications of soup and give one example of each.
Clear (broth, consommé) and Thick (cream, purée); examples: broth vs. purée of split peas.
List three key differences between a stock and a broth
Stocks: bones, used as base; broths: meat and can be served; differences in flavoring and use.
Define the difference between a cream soup and a purée soup in terms of thickening agent.
Cream soups: roux/velouté + cream; purée soups: thickened by puréed starch of main ingredient.
Name two types of cold soups and state whether they are cooked or uncooked.
Examples: Vichyssoise (cooked cold); Gazpacho (uncooked cold).
Give two functions of a garnish in soups (not just decoration).
Garnish functions: enhance flavor/texture and indicate or complete the dish (e.g., noodles as garnish changing the soup).
Explain how a bisque differs from a chowder in terms of typical ingredients and thickening method.
Bisque: shellfish base, puréed shells/rice/roux and cream; chowder: chunky, potatoes, often milk/cream and roux.
Outline the main steps (in order) for preparing a basic meat broth suitable for serving or using as a base.
Brown meat (if needed), sweat/brown mirepoix, cover with cold water/stock, simmer and skim, strain, cool/store or finish for service.
When finishing a cream soup with dairy, describe two safe techniques to prevent curdling and when to add the dairy.
Warm the dairy before adding; temper by adding hot soup to cold dairy slowly, or scald milk, add at end and do not boil after adding.
Explain why cold soups typically need stronger seasoning than hot soups and give one practical adjustment you would make just before service.
Cold dulls taste; increase seasoning (salt, acid) — taste & adjust immediately before service.
State three general rules for preparing garnishes so they enhance, not harm, soup clarity or texture.
Rules: uniform cuts, cook garnish separately and reheat just before service, choose complementary textures and colors.
Describe Escoffier’s categories for "purées" and "cream soups" and state one historical change in how modern kitchens prepare these compared to Escoffier’s time.
Escoffier: purées thickened with rice/potato/bread, cream soups use béchamel/velouté — modern kitchens often use stocks/velouté and cream/milk, blurring lines
Describe the purpose of a clearmeat, list its typical components, and explain how it works chemically to clarify a consommé.
Clearmeat = egg whites + ground meat + mirepoix + acid (tomato/lemon/wine) + herbs; albumen coagulates and traps impurities to form raft.
Provide a short step sequence to make a smooth cream of broccoli soup (base → cooking → finishing), indicating when to strain and why.
Sweat broccoli & mirepoix, add velouté, simmer until tender, purée through food mill, strain (china cap) for smoothness, adjust with hot stock, finish with hot cream. If wanted you can thicken with a Roux
When preparing a cooked cold soup that uses dairy (e.g., vichyssoise), give food‑safety critical control steps for rapid chilling and storage.
Rapidly cool to ≤41∘F≤41∘F using shallow pans, ice bath / blast chiller; keep covered and stored above raw proteins; label with date/time.
For a consommé to be served at a catered event, describe the garnish selection and placement approach that preserves clarity and visual appeal when the soup is ladled table‑side
For consommé: use small uniform brunoise/julienne, add garnishes after pouring or place in bowl before ladling so they float without clouding; avoid overcooking by reheating garnishes separately and adding at point of service.
Explain why consommés are high in body (mouthfeel) and name two qualities that indicate a well-made consommé.
High gelatin content and clarity; well‑made: crystal clear, fat‑free, full‑flavored.
A consommé turns cloudy after clarification. Give two likely causes and the corrective procedure (brief, stepwise) recommended in Chapter 11
Causes: boiling or stirring after raft forms; corrective: chill & degrease, add egg whites (approx. 4 per gallon), slowly reheat to coagulate, strain once.
A purée soup made from split peas is too thin after refrigeration. List two restaurant‑appropriate methods to correct consistency when reheating and discuss any flavor or texture tradeoffs.
Thickeners: add beurre manié, small amount of roux, or cornstarch slurry (mixed with cool stock then simmer) — tradeoffs: extra starchiness or loss of fresh flavor; liaison adds richness but must not boil.
For an uncooked gazpacho made ahead for service, list three mise en place items you must prepare and explain the order/timing to keep product safe and fresh.
Mise en place: peeled/seeded tomatoes, chopped peppers/cucumbers, chilled tomato juice; timing: prep veg close to service, combine & chill, prepare garnishes separately and add at service.
You must serve a cream chowder and a clear broth during the same service period. Explain recommended holding and reheating temperatures for each and two actions to prevent garnish overcooking.
Holding temps: clear soups near boiling for service (ideal near 210∘F210∘F but follow local regs), cream soups 190 − 200∘F190−200∘F; prevent overcooking garnishes by holding them separately and adding at plating.
Given a recipe that uses starchy legumes as the main ingredient, classify the soup and justify whether it should be strained after puréeing or not, including safety/quality considerations.
Purée soup (legumes) — usually not strained; rationale: starch/grit retained for body; if using dairy finish, temper before adding.
You have a high‑quality cold stock and limited time: provide a concise plan (mise en place checklist and cooking timeline) to convert it into a properly flavored beef consommé for service the next day, including degreasing and storage steps to meet industry safety and presentation standards.
Plan: use cold degreased stock, prepare clearmeat, slowly simmer to form raft with hole, simmer 1–1.5 hours, strain through layered cheesecloth or coffee filter, cool rapidly (ice bath, shallow pans), refrigerate, remove fat when cold; label/date; hold at (41∘F)
Design a scaled two‑hour production plan for making, cooling, and safely storing 10 gallons of a puréed vegetable soup (include cooling method, when to add cream if used, and service reheating notes to preserve texture and food safety).
Two‑hour plan: cook vegetables until very soft, cool in shallow pans in ice bath to 41°F within 4 hours, store refrigerated as base (no cream); to serve, reheat slowly, add scalded cream at end, hold hot at 190∘ − 200∘F190∘−200∘F for cream soups
Create (brief) a plated service recommendation for a chilled fruit‑and‑yogurt soup as a dessert course: portion size, garnish choices, temperature target, and how to hold for service without compromising texture or microbial safety.
Plated service: portion 4–6 fl oz for dessert, garnish with microherbs or spiced nut crumble, serve at 41∘F, hold under refrigeration and avoid dilution—keep sauces/crumb garnish separate until plating.
Evaluate this service scenario and recommend corrections: a thick cream soup has been refrigerated with cream added, then reheated rapidly over high heat causing slight curdling and separation. Provide 4 actionable steps to salvage the batch for immediate service and to prevent recurrence in future production.
Salvage steps: cool slightly then strain to remove curdled bits, add liaison of warm egg yolk + cream off heat to re-emulsify (temper carefully), finish with monté au beurre if appropriate, hold at lower safe hot temp and adjust SOPs to add cream at finish and not during refrigeration.