New ethnic and upscale soups require quality, authentic flavors. Here’s a “soup-to-nuts” look at soup—and how to develop and preserve those flavors through the process.
There are primarily two types of soup classification: broth-based (think chicken noodle) or cream-based (think chowder). Tomato-based products can be classified as either; for example, minestrone would be a broth-based soup vs. a creamy tomato-basil. There are exceptions, such as thin purées of vegetable or legumes using water instead of broth, but these still may be considered broth-based, with the vegetable liquid matrix acting as would a meat or poultry broth.
Broth-based soups tend to be the most popular, and the method of producing soup broths can vary. In large-batch production, the use of soup bases became the most common method. But, the movement toward more natural products opened the door for companies that specialize in bases, making available multiple formats, from powdered to liquid to frozen; organic and “natural;” low-sodium and gluten-free; and custom bases. These are available in varying concentrations, as well.