Soup lovers must have heard this comment many times while ordering food - ‘Let’s skip eating soup, it will be too filling and we won’t be able to enjoy the rest of the meal’. Well, how about feasting on soups that are a meal by themselves? Soups are a one-pot-wonder that can be a healthy full meal as it is easy to digest and loaded with different kinds of ingredients, from noodles and rice to vegetables and meat. Soups can be made as per your preference by playing around with the ingredients. The word ‘soup’ means liquid food. It is said to have originated from the French word ‘soupe’ (soup or broth), which came from Late Latin ‘suppa’ (bread soaked in broth), from a Germanic source.
Here are seven soups that make for satisfying meals:
1. Pho: Vietnamese Noodle
Pho is a Vietnamese flavourful noodle soup. Considered a comfort food, Pho is said to have been invented sometime between the 19th and 20th centuries in Northern Vietnam. There is a dispute, however, over which cuisine influenced Pho. Some believe it has been inspired by the French stew, called pot-au-feu. Pho comprises rice noodles, vegetables, bean sprouts, slices of meat (mostly beef), and herbs cooked in bone broth. It is then served with a garnishing of lime and chilli.
Korean Guchujang Soup
This wholesome Italian thick soup is said to have originated in the second century BC. It was, initially, often made with leftover food in Italy at the time, and so was considered as ‘cucina povera’ or poor kitchen dish. The soup can be made with either vegetables (the vegetables must be fresh for a perfect taste) or with vegetables and rice or pasta both. The other ingredients include parmesan cheese, potatoes, legumes, carrots, tomatoes, celery, leafy vegetables, and onions. The pasta or rice is not cooked with the soup but cooked separately and then added to the soup for the right texture. At a time when food has gone global, soups are constantly being adapted to local palates, without compromising on the essence of the original. The proliferation of various kinds of soups, from across the world, has left us spoilt for choice, and one can no longer say soups are unessential or boring.
