Topic · Clear Soups Mastery
Soup Serving Tips
All clear soups are always served hot since they are protein-based. Thanks to their long-simmering time, tough muscle, connective tissues, and bones will dissolve collagen, creating gelatin, which will cause the clear soups to look like jello when cooled. This gives to clear soup a body and texture that is considered a virtue in using it for soup or as an ingredient in other recipes.
Wooden leg soup in a tureen
Now if you take the collagen away, it’s possible to make cold soup and to serve them cold, but it’s quite unusual. In my career, I don’t have many examples of cold consommé. The most memorable were:
- A “Chilled Sea Snails Consommé with Norway Lobster Seaweed Ravioli” for the Australian Sports Minister who had the International Olympic Committee for guests to prepare Sydney 2000 games.
- A “Poached Foie Gras in Tomato Verbena Consommé” for a special client from Hong Kong that was hosting gargantuan dinner parties.
That being said, here are some general guidelines to serve clear soups.
Clear Soups Serving Temperature
- Hot Consommé should be served very hot near-boiling ≈ 95ºC / 203ºF.
- Cold Consommé should be served cold ≈ 3ºC / 39ºF.
- Broth and hearty Broth soups should be served very hot ≈ 85ºC / 185ºF.
For small food businesses, Soup Kettle Countertop Cooker is a good alternative when cooking capabilities are limited. This type of equipment allows you to cook, warm, keep hot, and serve all in the same kettle all your hot soups or stews. The lid features a notch to hold the ladle to serve when the lid is closed to decrease the chances of cross-contamination. This allows you to keep your soup in front of the house for quick service options.
Clear Soups Serving Style
- Hot Consommé should be served in preheated soup plates or teacups.
- Cold Consommé should be served in chilled teacups or elegant soup plates.
- Broth and hearty Broth soups should be served in preheated soup plates or into a soup tureen.