Soup

In the south of France, garlic is not only thought of as a culinary herb, but also as a vegetable, so it is no surprise that garlic soup is so deeply rooted in the traditional cuisine of regions like Occitanie and Provence. Its origins can be traced to the Middle Ages when soupe &agrave; l'ail was dished out only for special occasions and found on the table of noble families, since black pepper&mdash;one of the essential ingredients&mdash;was among the most expensive spices at the time. French garlic soup is typically served with poached eggs and slices of baguette bread browned in olive oil.

Soupe à l'ail

Onions cooked down for the best part of an hour until they are brown and sweet, simmered in beef stock, ladled into a bowl over stale bread, covered with grated Gruyère and put under the grill until the cheese blisters: soupe à l'oignon gratinée is the dish Paris eats at the end of the night. The onion soup itself is old, a peasant and market-worker food found across France since at least the eighteenth century, and the gratinéed version with its cheese crust is associated with the all-night restaurants around Les Halles, the central market, where porters and revellers ate it at dawn until the market moved out in 1969. Several bistros there still serve it, and it remains on the menu of practically every brasserie in the country. Abroad it is usually called French onion soup, which no French menu writes.

Everything depends on the onions. Yellow onions, two or three large ones per person, are sliced thin and cooked in butter over moderate heat for forty-five minutes to an hour, stirred often, until they have collapsed to a fraction of their volume and turned a deep mahogany without burning; a pinch of salt early draws out their water, and a splash of dry white wine or a little flour at the end thickens what follows. Stock is the second pillar: a real brown beef or veal stock, or a mix with chicken, simmered with the onions for twenty minutes or more, seasoned with thyme, bay and pepper. For the gratin, thick slices of day-old baguette are dried in the oven and laid on the soup in ovenproof bowls, Gruyère or Comté is heaped on top, and the bowls go under a fierce grill or into a very hot oven until the cheese is bubbling and browned at the edges.

Judge it by digging through. The crust should be thick enough to resist the spoon and stretch into strings, browned and not just melted; underneath, the bread should have soaked up broth without dissolving. The soup should be dark brown, clear rather than cloudy, and taste first of sweet cooked onion and then of meat stock, with real depth and only moderate salt. Mark down pale, watery soup with onions still crunchy or merely softened, a stock-cube flavour, a thin layer of cheese that has not browned, a mozzarella-like cheese that tastes of nothing, and a bowl so full of bread that it eats like a pudding. It should arrive too hot to eat for a minute or two. A version with a cream base or a sherry sweetness is a different soup, and a cold crust means it was gratinéed in advance.

Soupe à l’oignon

France

Borrowing its name from a traditional French paste, soupe au pistou is a popular soup similar to the Italian minestrone. Based on fresh seasonal ingredients, the soup can be made with various vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, beans, zucchini, peas, long green beans, or any other available vegetables. Pasta is typically added to improve the texture of the soup. However, the crucial ingredient is pistou, a traditional French paste made with basil, olive oil, and garlic, with the occasional addition of grated cheese or tomatoes. The paste can be thoroughly mixed in the entire pot of soup, but it can also be placed in individual bowls and left for the guests to swirl it in and adjust the taste according to their preferences. The soup is usually served warm and it is traditionally prepared during the summer season, when there is an abundance of fresh vegetables. Believed to have originated in the 18th century, this fresh and flavorful vegetable soup still stands as one of the most authentic Proven&ccedil;al dishes.

Soupe au pistou

Soupe aux Truffes Noires VGE is a luxurious French soup created by the renowned chef Paul Bocuse. The "VGE" in the name stands for Val&eacute;ry Giscard d'Estaing, the former President of France, for whom the soup was originally created. This exquisite dish features a rich, aromatic broth made with chicken consomm&eacute;, foie gras, truffles, mushrooms, and root vegetables. It is traditionally served with a puff pastry lid, which, when broken, releases the tantalizing aromas of the truffles and broth, providing a truly gourmet experience. Paul Bocuse has published a number of recipes for this soup throughout the years, each slightly bit different, with the most recent one also including chicken breast and white vermouth.

Soupe aux truffes noires VGE

Soupe crasse is a traditional bread soup originating from the northern parts of the country. The dish is usually made with a combination of breadsticks (or day-old bread), chicken stock, butter, Taleggio cheese, onions, salt, and pepper. In a buttered pan, the breadsticks and cheese are placed in alternating layers, and then covered with the stock. The mixture is brought to a simmer and cooked over low heat for about half an hour. The onions are saut&eacute;ed in butter until soft, and the butter is then strained while the onions are discarded. The butter is drizzled over the soup, it's simmered for a few more minutes, and the breadstick soup is then served in individual plates or bowls. Soupe crasse is typically made during the holiday season.

Soupe crasse

Soup tulang is a traditional dish that consists of meaty mutton or lamb bones in a spicy and vibrant red sauce or gravy. The star of this dish is the soft and greasy bone marrow contained in the meat bones which is either sipped with a straw or tapped out onto a plate. Thick, sweet, and flavorful, the gravy is typically made with mutton or lamb stock, tomato pur&eacute;e, chilis, spices, and (optionally) red food coloring, used for a more vibrant look of the dish. Thick slices of bread usually accompany the specialty, and they're used for soaking up all of the rich gravy. Abdul Kadir, an Indian Muslim stallholder, has been credited for inventing the dish back in the 1950s at his hawker stall located in Jalan Sultan in Singapore.

Soup tulang

Soyo is a thick and hearty Paraguayan soup filled with ground beef, rice, and vegetables such as onions, green peppers, and tomatoes. The soup is commonly seasoned with salt, garlic, parsley, and oregano. The name of the dish is a shorter version of the Guarani phrase so'o josopy, meaning crushed meat. Although soyo used to be a poor man's meal in the past, today it is enjoyed by every social stratum in Paraguay.

Soyo

Spas is a traditional soup that's tart, creamy, and very filling. It's typically made with a combination of yogurt, flour, butter, water or chicken broth, and wheat grains, but the grains can be replaced with rice or pearl barley, while spinach and eggs or egg yolks are added to the combination often, but not always. The soup is usually garnished with cilantro or mint on top. This soup is served warm in the winter and chilled in the summer. For the warm version, eggs or egg yolks are necessary as they keep the yogurt from curdling, but omit the eggs in the cold version of spas.

Spas

Slovenia

&Scaron;tajerska kisla juha is a traditional sour soup originating from Lower Styria. It&rsquo;s usually made with a combination of pig&rsquo;s trotters, pork head, garlic, onions, salt, pepper, marjoram, parsley, thyme, apple or wine vinegar, potatoes, sour cream, and flour. The meat and vegetables are sliced and boiled in water, then mixed with a combination of flour and sour cream in order for the soup to thicken. At the end, vinegar is added to the soup to make it more sour. This soup is traditionally prepared during pig slaughter, known as koline, and it was typically served after midnight.

Štajerska kisla juha

Italy

Stracciatella is an Italian soup made with meat stock and a mixture of semolina flour, Parmigiano Reggiano, and an egg. The egg mixture is slowly poured in the stock in order to make straccetti (little rags) in the liquid. The soup is usually served with more grated cheese on the side. Traditionally, it is prepared for Easter, when it is served as the first course. Stracciatella soup should not be confused with the eponymous ice cream flavor that was invented in 1962.

Stracciatella alla Romana

&Scaron;trukljeva juha or &Scaron;tajerska dumpling soup is a popular fasting dish from the Maribor region. In order to prepare it, &scaron;truklji dumplings (made from strudel dough and filled with cottage cheese) are cut into smaller pieces and cooked in salted boiling water. During the process, the cottage cheese from these dumplings thickens the soup so it becomes more filling. Before serving, &scaron;trukljeva juha is commonly sprinkled with chopped chives or parsley. It is recommended to pair the soup with neutral, light white wines such as Pinot Gris or Chardonnay, possibly semi-dry.

Štrukljeva juha

China

Originating from either Sichuan or Beijing in China, hot and sour soup is a classic meal that is suitable for every occasion and most weather conditions. It typically contains ingredients such as day lily buds, bamboo shots, tofu, wood ear fungus, and soy sauce-flavored broth. The hotness comes from red or white peppers, while the sour flavor is achieved by the use of vinegar. Hot and sour soup is commonly consumed after a big meal or as a hangover cure. It is also said that the soup is a great choice for giving a boost to one's appetite.

Suān là tāng

S&uuml;dtiroler gerstensuppe or zuppa d'orzo is a traditional soup originating from South Tyrol. The soup is usually made with a combination of barley, onions, garlic, potatoes, carrots, celery, pancetta, smoked pork or Alto Adige speck, olive oil or butter, salt, and pepper. The vegetables (except the potatoes) are saut&eacute;ed in butter or olive oil. Barley is added to the pot with the seasoning and water, and the soup is simmered for about an hour. The speck and potatoes are added near the end of cooking, and the soup is then simmered until everything is tender and the consistency becomes viscous and creamy. If desired, the soup can be garnished with chopped chives. Barley soup from South Tyrol is a typical mountain farmer's dish that's served in farm taverns, mountain huts, and hotel restaurants in the area. It's especially popular in winter and during the T&ouml;rggele time in autumn.

Südtiroler Gerstensuppe

Suki is the Thai version of a communal hot pot dish. It grew out of Chinese and Japanese traditions of preparing and cooking ingredients tableside in a shared bowl. The assembling of the dish starts with a bowl placed in the middle of the table, usually filled with a lemongrass-spiced chicken broth. The rest of ingredients can include meat, pork, and chicken, a wide range of seafood ingredients, glass noodles, and vegetables such as cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, spring onions, carrots, and celery. The unique characteristic of Thai suki is the dipping sauce, created with a substantial amount of chili peppers, coriander, garlic, and lime. Occasionally, a raw egg is added to the broth, which creates unusual egg drippings and slightly thickens the soup. Having suki in a restaurant provides a unique dining experience in which each person can adjust the choice of ingredients and spiciness according to personal preferences. In Thailand, it is usually consumed at specialized suki restaurants.

Suki

Croatia

&Scaron;ulenka is a traditional peasant soup originating from the Međimurje region. It's made with a few ingredients &ndash; wheat flour, milk, eggs, and salt. The flour is mixed with eggs, milk, and salt in order to create a stiff dough that can be grated. The dough is grated into the milk, which is then boiled, and after a while, when the dough is fully cooked, this milky white soup is ready to be served, usually for dinner.

Šulenka

Sulu khingal is a traditional meat soup originating from Azerbaijan. The dish is usually made with a combination of lamb or beef, onions, chickpeas, turmeric, butter, mint, vinegar, salt, and square-shaped homemade noodles consisting of flour, eggs, and salt. The meat is sliced into pieces and boiled in water with chickpeas, turmeric, and salt. Homemade noodles are added to the pot near the end of cooking. The meat soup is simmered until the noodles are tender, and it&rsquo;s then garnished with onions fried in butter and chopped mint before serving. Vinegar is typically served on the side so that each person can season the soup to their liking.

Sulu khingal

Sumashijiru is a traditional soup originating from Japan. This clear soup is very simple to prepare and it's based on dashi, a stock made by soaking niboshi (dried smal lsardines), kombu (dried kelp), or katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes). The dashi is combined with soy sauce, water, and sometimes sake. Once cooked, this clear soup is poured into a bowl and served. It can be enriched with seafood, meat, vegetables, mushrooms, or tofu, if desired. Although sumashijiru is also called suimono, there's actually a slight difference between the two &ndash; suimono is eaten as an accompaniment to sake rice wine, while sumashijiru is sometimes served with cooked rice on the side.

Sumashijiru

The star ingredient in this hearty Korean soup is sundae &ndash; Korean blood sausage. The soup is prepared with a flavorful broth that includes sliced sundae, other types of offal, vegetables, and noodles, while rice can be added to the soup or served on the side. Sundaeguk is regarded as an excellent hangover remedy and it is usually enjoyed with kimchi, kkakdugi, or other Korean side dishes (banchan).

Sundaeguk

A Romanian classic, supă cu găluște is a clear dumpling soup, usually made with chicken stock and semolina dumplings. The chicken stock is typically made with a whole chicken or chicken pieces with bones, boiled with a combination of vegetables, usually parsnips, celery stalks, onions, carrots, and potatoes, while the soft and fluffy semolina dumplings are prepared with eggs and semolina flour. Sometimes, the chicken meat (cut into chunks) and chopped vegetables are added to the soup for a more filling meal. Mostly prepared during the cold season, this traditional Romanian soup is a staple in many Romanian households, where it is usually served for lunch. It is served hot, garnished with chopped parsley and (optionally) pepper and chopped green onions.

Supă (de pui) cu găluște

Supă de pui cu tăieței is a Romanian variation of the chicken soup with the addition of homemade noodles. A classic winter dish, this clear soup is usually made with chicken stock, noodles, and vegetables (typically carrots). The chicken meat used for making the stock can be reserved for other dishes or shredded and added to the soup for a more filling meal. In many Romanian households, this soup is traditionally eaten on Sundays, for lunch or dinner. Considered a comfort food, the soup is usually eaten hot, garnished with chopped parsley and ground black pepper.