Mouthing Off | Why soup deserves to be more than an appetiser: pho, ramen, chowder, or gazpacho, it’s earned a place as the main event
- We don’t get excited about liquid food the way we do a hunk of meat or a plate of fatty carbs – but we should
- From basic to bisque, soups are full of nutrition, and they’re just the thing for using up leftovers or stretching ingredients a long way – think soup kitchens!
The late, great comedian Rodney Dangerfield had a catchphrase: “I don’t get no respect!” In the culinary world, soup is the Rodney Dangerfield of foods.
Think about it. It’s enjoyed in almost all cultures and comes in a variety of forms and flavours. But often it’s relegated to being a light course in a meal, primarily an appetiser, even though it can be very filling and packed with nutrients and vitamins.
The fact is, liquid food just does not seduce our primal appetite the same way a big chunk of meat or large platter of fatty carbs will. Ask yourself, when was the last time you ordered soup as a main course? No respect, I tell ya!
Archaeologists have found evidence of soup consumption as far back as 20000BC. The word itself is derived from the Latin “suppa”, denoting bread that has been soaked in a broth.
In a related anecdote, the term “restaurant” was first used in 16th century France by street vendors who sold liquid nourishment to exhausted workers. The word meant “to restore”.
