Tips for...

*Cream Soups*

Milk or cream should be the last ingredient added to the soup. Never add

cold milk or cream directly to hot soup. First, bring the milk or cream to a

simmer and then slowly add it to the soup. Never bring a creamed soup to a

boil.

*Purée Soups*

Pure soups are generally thicker than cream soups and aren't strained.

Potatoes or rice can be used as a thickener for a vegetable pure soup.

*Chowders*

Chowders are hearty soups. In most cases, chowder contains milk or cream and

is thickened by a roux. The key is to keep the chowder light and not too

thick. There's nothing worse than a bowl of clam chowder served with the

spoon sticking straight up out of the middle of the bowl.

*Better Bisques*

Butter will add color and richness to bisques. It should be added just

before serving.

*Cold Soups*

Cold foods dull our sense of taste; therefore, cold soup will need more

seasoning than hot ones. It is best to taste a cold soup just prior to

service and add more seasoning if needed.

Serve cold soup as cold as possible. A lukewarm cold soup isn't very

appetizing.

*Broths/Consommés *

Always strain the broth through a sieve lined with cheesecloth; don't apply

any pressure to the ingredients or the broth will become cloudy. Consomms

are broth that has been clarified so that they come out crystal clear. Once

the clarification process is completed, the consomm should be strained

through multiple layers of cheesecloth. It is then degreased by chilling it

and removing any solidified fat.