Do you feel that breeze in the air? That chill as a leaf falls from a tree? The crunch of your boots on the sidewalk? It’s finally autumn, which means it’s finally “soup season” here in Canada! With that being said, let’s take a long walk down memory lane and learn a little bit about the history of soup, a staple in almost every cuisine around the world.
Based on archeological evidence, it turns out that the very first bowl of soup was cooked in 20,000 BC and became part of the everyday menu from as early as 6000 BC. After the invention of clay pots and bowls, making soup was easy! It became a part of cuisines all over the world.
Most soups fall under two categories: thick and clear. Clear soups are usually made with a base of broth; these include soups like chicken noodle soup, which is clear and includes many vegetables and other foods, like meat or noodles, within. Many Asian soups, such as wonton soup or ramen, fall into this category. Alternatively, thick soups can made using several different thickening agents like cream, starch, or eggs and butter. For example, It’s Souper’s Roasted Carrot and Paprika soup is an example of a thick soup, made with coconut milk to thicken the soup to its hearty consistency. Our Moroccan Chickpea and Chicken stew is also thickened using chickpeas!
In many cultures, such as those in the African and Asian continents, soup was not reserved for colder temperatures like it is in North America today. Rather, it is healthy and hearty meal that can be served no matter the season. In fact, you will often see people drinking warm soup in hot or tropical weather! Perhaps it’s time for this tradition to shift over to North America as well, where we can enjoy soup outside of soup season and have it as a healthy meal during all times of year.
Check out our recipes for some great ideas on how to keep the soup momentum going all year long!