Stew vs. Soup: 3 Key Differences You Must Know

What is the distinction between soup and stew? The most prevalent explanation involves a straightforward distinction based on the amount of liquid in the dish. According to the theory, if there is more liquid, it is a soup, and if there is less, it is a stew. However, the cooking procedures are what determine whether a food is labelled soup or stew. If you can't tell the difference, the words "soup" and "stew" have no meaning in relation to one another. A soup is simply a thin stew, while a stew is simply a thick soup. Fortunately, we can tell the difference between soup and stew by the technique of preparation. Soups are simmered, but stews are braised.

What is stew?

Stew is a comfort meal classic that consists of meat or beans cooked in a delicious broth with vegetables and aromatics. You can prepare stew with harder cuts of beef that become tender after extensive simmering on low heat. Once the flavours have melded, stew can taste even better the next day. While stews are commonly thickened with a flour-and-oil roux, they can be made gluten-free by using thickeners such as gluten-free all-purpose flour, a cornstarch slurry, or a small number of mashed potatoes.

What is soup?

Soups—dishes using broth or cream as liquid bases—are a staple of many cultures, whether as sick-day comfort foods like chicken noodle soup or chicken soup with dumplings. Recipes for homemade soups can include anything from proteins (such as lentil or black bean soup, Italian sausage soup, or turkey soup) to starches or carbohydrates (such as wild rice soup, barley soup, or tortellini soup) to vegetables (like cauliflower soup, tomato soup, mixed vegetable soup, and onion soup).

Some soups have different names depending on how they are prepared; for example, gazpachos are a sort of cold soup, chowders (such as clam chowder or corn chowder) have thick bases of dairy or crackers, and bisques typically have a strained seafood base. There are chunky soups, smooth puree soups, and broth-based soups (clear soups). Pureed soups are frequently topped with a creamy element such as cream or cheese.

Differences between soup and stew

1. The liquid is the most important component of soup. Soup can be completely liquified or made composed of other ingredients (such as meat and vegetables) that are fully immersed in water, stock, or broth. Stew, on the other hand, is often thicker. It only has enough liquid to cover the primary ingredients.
2. Soup is a significantly broader recipe genre than stew. Technically, soups are any combination of items cooked in liquid. They can be thick or thin, chunky or smooth, hot or cold, and any combination of the three. Some soups take hours to prepare, while others can be made in 20 minutes or less and may not require any cooking at all. Stew is almost always served hot, chunky and thick, and takes a long time to prepare.
3. Stew can refer to any food made by stewing—a method of slowly simmering something slightly covered in liquid in a covered pot. Soup can be made in a variety of ways, but the most common is to bring ingredients to a boil before simmering to intensify the flavours.