Soups & Stews

What even is a soup?

A soup is a liquid dish made by simmering ingredients — meat, vegetables, legumes — in water or stock. The broth is the point. It's meant to be abundant, thin enough to drink, and served in a bowl with a spoon. A stew is just a soup that stayed on the heat too long. Cook off enough liquid and your soup becomes a stew: thicker, richer, more substance than broth.

Is chili a soup?

Technically, yes — by the definition above, chili qualifies. It's liquid, it simmers, it's served in a bowl. But chili sits so far toward the stew end of the spectrum that calling it a soup feels almost rude. The Texas position: real chili has no beans, no tomatoes, and definitely isn't soup. It's a meat dish with chile sauce. Full stop.

Is ramen a soup?

Ramen is the least controversial entry here. It's broth-forward, the liquid is the star, and nobody is writing angry forum posts about whether ramen counts. It's a soup. It has always been a soup. It will continue to be a soup. ← Back