when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder?

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (Foodbme)

Sun, 09 Jan 2011 02:07:49 GMT

bill voss

Now that's interesting. Would vegetarian chili be considered soup too?

Nope. Veggie Chili would not be considered worthy of being called anything!

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (1bbqboy)

Sat, 08 Jan 2011 21:46:01 GMT

Now that's interesting. Would vegetarian chili be considered soup too?

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (dimmie2)

Sat, 08 Jan 2011 21:28:26 GMT

From reading your definitions of stew and soup, I must be way off base. I've always consider a stew made with any kind of meat. When I make vegetable soup, it has no meat and is thick enough to serve on a plate with cornbread.

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (BelleReve)

Sun, 19 Dec 2010 14:41:45 GMT

Add the term bisque to cofuse things even more .
I have cookbooks with recipes labeled as oyster soup, and oyster stew, which are essentially the same dish - prepared the same way, using the same ingredients. I ate out and had what was listed on the restaurant menu as oyster chowder, and it was rich, made with cream and butter, that I would have called a bisque, only the oysters were whole.

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (edwmax)

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 08:44:01 GMT

As I said. the conch chowder that I eat in Florida did have milk/cream. ... Nothing Georgia about that. ... I do know that most Clam or conch chowders are potato or potato soup based chowders. I don't remember the conch chowder (???) I had while on St. Johns, Vi. very well, but it didn't milk, potatoes or tomatoes in it. ... There was a killer Lobster Bisque made with heavy cream/milk on St Johns. I have imitated that a few times using clams, shrimp, scallops; ... a sea food bisque.

I've always though the difference between regular chowders & Manhattan style Chowders is the addition of tomatoes or tomato paste.

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (MiamiDon)

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 07:32:27 GMT

hummm ...

Manhattan Clam Chowder - Doubleday cookbook and Joy of Cooking: no cream or milk

Conch Chowder - In South Florida and the Keys, normal conch chowder has no dairy products. I have encountered a conch chowder one (1) time in a restaurant that had a dairy product in it. That was at the Pier House in Key West, and it was notable because virtually nobody serves it that way. Normal SoFla & Keys conch chowder is often referred to as Bahamian because it is strongly associate with Bahamian immigrants who came to Florida in the 1800's.

A quick reference and history: http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Chowder/ConchChowder.htm

I pulled out from my files restaurant conch chowder recipes, also

La Concha
Bull Peacock
Conchy Joe's
Ziggy's
Monty Trainer's

Not a drop of cream or milk to be found!

Of course, I will concede that just because in New York City (where I was born) Manhattan Clam Chowder has no milk or cream in it, or that in South Florida (where I have lived for 33 years) Conch Chowder has no milk or cream in it, that doesn't mean that the Georgia Manhattan Clam Chowder or the Georgia Conch Chowder doesn't either. It must be a regional thing.

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (Michael Hoffman)

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 14:50:53 GMT

A soup is always a soup, a stew is always a stew and a chowder is always a chowder.

And that's the way it is -- Rachael Ray notwithstanding.

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (BillyB)

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 11:19:43 GMT

Greymo

My definition of stew is something that has been thickened with flour .
I consider soup to have a thin liquid base. (but Oyster stew is not thickened and still called oyster stew) I guess it does not matter as long as it is good!

I make a cabbage soup thickened with Flour and a potato soup or any soup thats started with a Bechamel base sauce..............What about a Cioppino (fish stew) or a Bouillabaisse (seafood stew)................

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (Davydd)

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 10:47:54 GMT

If you can eat it with a fork and mop it up with bread it is stew.

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (Foodbme)

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:29:28 GMT

If a spoon stands up in it, it's a stew. If the spoon falls down, it's a soup! Simple as that!

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (EdSails)

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:06:52 GMT

As much as we like to make fun of Rachael Ray, her"stoup" (or is it "stewp") word does make a lot of sense. And we haven't even touched upon temperature yet to help with the determination. There are plenty of cold soups, but who ever made a cold stew? Gazpacho si, cold vegetable stew NO!!

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (PapaJoe8)

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 21:57:42 GMT

You gotta draw a line in tha sand somewhere. I'm not sure where that is though. Gimmy a bowl of it and then I'll decide. :~)
Joe

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (chewingthefat)

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 21:29:40 GMT

Greymo

My definition of stew is something that has been thickened with flour .
I consider soup to have a thin liquid base. (but Oyster stew is not thickened and still called oyster stew) I guess it does not matter as long as it is good!

\

Thank you, soup/stew Greymo!

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (Greymo)

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:42:36 GMT

My definition of stew is something that has been thickened with flour .
I consider soup to have a thin liquid base. (but Oyster stew is not thickened and still called oyster stew) I guess it does not matter as long as it is good!

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (chewingthefat)

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 17:51:38 GMT

saps

When you eat it, it's a soup. When it comes back up, especially with other things, it's a stew.
[/quote
Very clever and funny!!

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (boyardee65)

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 14:28:30 GMT

I consider Posole as soup. There may be lots of stuff in it but the broth is usually thin. I have had several versions of this dish all over the southwest having lived here most of my life. All include white hominy, onions, green chile, and pork of some sort. I have seen variations that have tomatoes, tomatillos, tripe and other organ meats. It is regarded here as a mythical hangover cure as is menudo. Very popular on the weekend menus around here.

David O.

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (saps)

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 13:54:27 GMT

When you eat it, it's a soup. When it comes back up, especially with other things, it's a stew.

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (edwmax)

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 07:37:54 GMT

MiamiDon

6star

According to the free dictionary ( http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ )a chowder must have milk, potatoes, and onions in it. However, the line between a soup and a stew by their definitions seems to be very vague, soups being thinner and stews being thicker. (But then you have oyster stew, which is relativelythin, and cream of mushroom soup, which can be relatively thick, certainly thicker than oyster stew). They say you should STEW the meat to make a stew, but then they mention a vegetable stew. So probably Alexander's spoon definition is as good as any, but just don't bet any money on which is called what!

The free dictionary seems to be worth what one pays for it.

Manhattan Clam Chowder, Rhode Island Clear Clam Chowder and Bahamian/Florida Conch Chowder don't have milk.

hummm ... the Conch Chowder that I had in Florida (years ago) did. But I'm not sure what a Bahamian Conch Chowder is. .... All the recipes that I've seen and/or eaten for Manhattan Clam Chowder was a milk/cream base chowder, but also had tomato or tomato paste added.

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (ann peeples)

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 06:53:53 GMT

Posole seems to be defined as both a soup or stew made with pork.Every recipe and defination I looked up said as much. We served a posole at work yesterday which was definately more on the lines of a stew.

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (MiamiDon)

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 06:01:45 GMT

6star

According to the free dictionary ( http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ )a chowder must have milk, potatoes, and onions in it. However, the line between a soup and a stew by their definitions seems to be very vague, soups being thinner and stews being thicker. (But then you have oyster stew, which is relativelythin, and cream of mushroom soup, which can be relatively thick, certainly thicker than oyster stew). They say you should STEW the meat to make a stew, but then they mention a vegetable stew. So probably Alexander's spoon definition is as good as any, but just don't bet any money on which is called what!

The free dictionary seems to be worth what one pays for it.

Manhattan Clam Chowder, Rhode Island Clear Clam Chowder and Bahamian/Florida Conch Chowder don't have milk.

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (1bbqboy)

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 19:13:35 GMT

Posole is which one of these?

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (6star)

Wed, 23 Jun 2004 20:45:34 GMT

According to the free dictionary ( http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ )a chowder must have milk, potatoes, and onions in it. However, the line between a soup and a stew by their definitions seems to be very vague, soups being thinner and stews being thicker. (But then you have oyster stew, which is relativelythin, and cream of mushroom soup, which can be relatively thick, certainly thicker than oyster stew). They say you should STEW the meat to make a stew, but then they mention a vegetable stew. So probably Alexander's spoon definition is as good as any, but just don't bet any money on which is called what!

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (olphart)

Wed, 23 Jun 2004 19:11:26 GMT

GF makes "Green Chili Stew" much like they make at Pancho's Mexican Buffet. They call it a stew, and GF calls it a stew. But it looks like a soup to me. We make our own broth from chicken bones and leftovers, then she adds chopped potatoes, onions, pork, canned tomatoes and Retell tomatoes, and, of course, coarsely chopped canned green chilies. The spices include homemade chili powder and kosher salt. The result is something akin to beef soup, only with pork.

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (Alexander)

Mon, 05 Apr 2004 07:53:57 GMT

My rule of thumb:

Stick a spoon or fork in it - if the spoon takes 4 or 5 seconds to fall, it's a soup. If it takes 10 seconds or more to fall over, it's a stew. If it takes less that 3 seconds to fall over, throw the mess out and start over. Thickening with flour is cheating.

RE: when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (tiki)

Sun, 04 Apr 2004 08:16:51 GMT

to me---when you place a full ladle of stew in a bowl--the top is mounded,with chunks of ingrediants glisening with sauce,when you do the same with soup--its flats-a lake into which you can dip a spoon and lift out tender peices of ingrediants. So if you make a soup that packed with big chunks it MAY end up a stew! and of course Chowda is white!!

when does a soup become a stew? or a chowder? (1bbqboy)

Sun, 04 Apr 2004 03:33:19 GMT

Is it the amount of ingredients, the thickness of the broth, the meat used, or is it the area of the country you live in? Chowders use a milk base(right?), but what makes a soup?....and what makes a stew?.......and where do beans; navy, pinto, black, etc.
enter into the fray?