Spring soup is a
soup
Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but may be cool or cold), that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ing ...
made with ingredients that are only in season for a short period during spring. Although
asparagus largely characterizes spring soup,
[Burckhardt, Ann. (April 3, 1988) ]Star Tribune
The ''Star Tribune'' is the largest newspaper in Minnesota. It originated as the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1867 and the competing ''Minneapolis Daily Star'' in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Minneapolis's competing newspapers were consolida ...
''Springtime soups that'll bowl you over.'' Section: Taste; Page 15E. spring soup may include just about any spring vegetable added to a
broth,
chowder, or
bisque. Spring soup is popular largely because it includes fresh ingredients not seen for a while by the consumer.
Characteristics
Where winter soups are hearty to "warm and fortify", spring soups aim to celebrate "new skies and freshness" by being "delicate and light, pretty and promising." Spring soups need lighter, brighter tastes and textures than their winter counterparts. A reason for this is that spring soups "capture the essence of the season in a clean-tasting, refreshing broth that showcases the pure flavors" of its ingredients.
Ingredients used in spring soup include a
purée
A purée (or mash) is cooked food, usually vegetables, fruits or legumes, that has been ground, pressed, blended or sieved to the consistency of a creamy paste or liquid. Purées of specific foods are often known by specific names, e.g., apples ...
of
pea
The pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the flowering plant species ''Pisum sativum''. Each pod contains several peas, which can be green or yellow. Botanically, pea pods are fruit, since they contain seeds and d ...
,
asparagus,
rapini, and
fennel
Fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare'') is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized ...
, with asparagus being considered the quintessential spring vegetable to largely characterize spring soup.
Spring soups typically show a subtle green color to reflect spring.
History
In 1828, ''
The British Almanac'' provided
housekeepers' information to add spring soup to a July menu. In 1896, the
Holland Society of New York
The Holland Society of New York was founded in New York City in 1885 to collect information respecting the settlement and history of New Netherland. Its main objective is to find and preserve documentation about the inhabitants' lives and times s ...
published a spring soup recipe that included
amontillado
Amontillado () is a variety of sherry wine characterised by being darker than fino but lighter than oloroso. It is named after the Montilla region of Spain, where the style originated in the 18th century, although the name "Amontillado" is somet ...
,
olives,
almonds
The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', Synonym (taxonomy)#Botany, syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of th ...
,
chicken
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
, and
radishes. In 1898, spring soup was defined as a soup having a stock with any spring vegetables added that have first been
parboiled
Parboiling (or leaching) is the partial or semi boiling of food as the first step in cooking. The word is from the Old French 'parboillir' (to boil thoroughly) but by mistaken association with 'part' it has acquired its current meaning.
The wo ...
in water, with the soup often colored with
caramel
Caramel ( or ) is an orange-brown confectionery product made by heating a range of sugars. It can be used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons, or as a topping for ice cream and custard.
The process of caramelizatio ...
.
[ Henderson, Mary Foote. (1898) ]
Practical Cooking and Dinner Giving: A Treatise Containing Practical Instructions in Cooking.
' Publishers: Harper & brothers.
See also
*
List of vegetable soups
Notes
References
* Parsons, Russ. (February 27, 2008)
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
The California cook: Ready to get fresh? A spring soup flirtation.' Section: Food; Page 1
External links
Spring soup photos
{{Soups
Vegetable soups
Spring (season)