As the cold settles in, I think more and more of a good bowl of soup. I was speaking to someone about chili a few months back and said that it was the only soup that I eat in the warm weather. My friend laughed at me and said that chili was not a soup but more akin to a stew. We had a long conversation and did not agree on it other than to say, regardless of what chili is, it tastes great.
While we could not agree, Mr. Google did provide us a significant amount of information on this topic. In the end, the consensus is that Chili is not a Soup. Much to my chagrin. it is most accurately classified as a stew because of its thicker consistency and hearty, prominent ingredients. So even though it is usually listed in the soup section of a restaurant menu, it is not a soup. I guess we cannot rely on restaurants for the appropriate classification of food. 😊
For those enquiring minds, here is a summary of what I found:
How to tell the difference
- Soup: Starts with a liquid base and its primary component is a liquid like broth, stock, water, or a puréed mixture. From there you boil vegetables, meats or legumes (or any combination of the three) in water, stock or broth to meld and enhance the dish’s favors. The main characteristic of soup is that there’s a lot of liquid
- Stew: While Stews have liquid in them, they are thicker, chunkier and have a lower liquid to solid ratio than soups. Stews usually contain chunks of ingredients like meat and vegetables that are the main focus of the dish. To prepare a stew, the large pieces of meat and vegetables are partially covered, but not floating, in a cooking liquid and then simmered until the ingredients are tender and the liquid has thickened. The cooking liquid can be broth or stock, like a soup, or something richer like wine, beer or tomato juice.
- Chili: Is typically considered a stew because its consistency is thick and dense, with a large quantity of meat, beans, and spices that are not just boiled in stock but are seared and simmered in a thick sauce.
Why people think chili is a soup
Menu placement: Restaurants often list chili under the “soup” section of a menu because it is a bowl food, but this doesn’t make it a soup.
- Recipe variations: Some recipes for chili may have a thinner, more liquid base, making them closer to a soup.
- Personal taste: Some people argue that whether it is a soup or not depends on personal preference, as the distinction can be blurry
In the end, chili is not a soup since its focus is not on the liquid base but rather the meat and beans in it. Also, its ingredients are not boiled like a soup and in fact, the meat should be browned for a really tasty chili. While chili is not really a soup, it is very tasty and you can call it whatever you want at home just not in front of my friends!!