The Temperature Tip To Remember For Serving Soup Properly

Hearty minestrone, roasted tomato soup, Thai chicken noodle soup, and pasta e fagioli all have one thing in common, they are delicious soups that can satiate your appetite on a cold day. However, when it comes to serving them, they have different optimal temperatures. According to online culinary school, Rouxbe, clear soups, thick soups, and cold soups are best served at very specific, but very different temperatures. Hot clear soups that use a broth like vegetable or chicken need to be simmered until they almost reach a rolling boil that hits 210 degrees Fahrenheit, which is only 2 degrees below the temp that water boils at. This will ensure each spoonful gives you that warm, comforting feeling that is synonymous with this type of soup.

But cream-based soups or thick purees need to be slightly cooler for us to be able to taste their flavor properly, and should be served at a minimum of 190 degrees Fahrenheit, and not higher than 200 degrees Fahrenheit. You need to stir these denser types of soups more frequently so they don't burn, another reason not to overheat them. Cold soups, like a beautiful Mexican gazpacho soup, are best at 40 degrees Fahrenheit so they are chill and refreshing when you are ready to eat.

To help ensure a hot bowl of soup stays hot and a cool, refreshing bowl of soup stays cold, trying warming your serving bowls for hot soup and cool down those for a cold soup. Simply run your bowls under hot water for a minute to heat up the surface before you pour your soup du jour. For a cold soup, place your bowls in the fridge for five to ten minutes. This extra step will make all the difference when you take that first spoonful. Not to mention a hot bowl keeps your soup hot longer, and a cool bowl keeps your cool soups cool longer.

Of course, the most important thing to remember when it comes to eating hot soup, is to take that first slurp slowly so you do not burn your mouth. Like Goldilocks, you want your soup to be just right, and some of those optimal temperatures may be too hot for some soup eaters. For this reason, the perfect temperature for serving soup, according to science, at least the clear variety, is between 136 and 162 degrees Fahrenheit. This gives you a warm bite, but ensures you don't burn your tongue or the roof of your mouth in the process.