It’s that time of the year! With cold weather looming, it’s time to knock the dust off of those treasured comfort food recipes and haul out the old Dutch oven. Soups and stews are a staple for most homes during the cool weather months ahead. Thanks to the larger quantities both usually make, it’s a wonderfully economical way to feed a large family or freeze for multiple meals. Both soups and stews usually freeze very well.
But wait…is soup a stew or is stew a soup?
What is the difference between the two?
Better yet, which do you prefer?
According to Dictonary.com, a dish that is mostly liquid-based is considered a soup. In a soup, the ingredients are usually fully submerged in the liquid (most often water or stock) or pureed as part of the liquid for a slightly thicker consistency. There are brothier types of soup like the age-old favorite, chicken noodle soup, pureed like a classic tomato soup, or creamy like a potato cheddar soup. Soups are fairly quick to make and don’t require a long cooking time to have ready to eat. As a matter of fact, you’ll probably spend more time prepping the soup ingredients than cooking, because a general rule of thumb is that no ingredient in a soup should be larger than the soup spoon!
Check out these delicious, easy soups using Springer Mountain Farms Chicken:
Chicken Tortilla Soup (pictured)
Greek Lemon Chicken Soup with Feta
Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Stews are generally thicker and chunkier than a soup. Ingredients can be similar or identical to ones found in soup, but with less liquid (barely covering ingredients), and are cooked by simmering or stewing. A stew always contains solid, larger chunks of ingredients, and often cooks longer so that the flavors have time to meld. This is a great method for cuts that need longer, slower cooking time to break down connective tissues and tenderize the meat. Stews also sometimes have a thickener, like flour or cornstarch, added for a thicker viscosity which is probably why most people eat stews over mashed potatoes, rice, polenta, etc. Liquids for stews often vary beyond the water or stock found used mostly in soups. Lots of great flavor can be added to a stew with beer, wine or cider.
Serving Tip For Stew: Be sure to let your stew “rest” or “cure” for about 20-30 minutes off the heat before serving, especially when meat is used. This time allows the meat to absorb moisture back into the chunks prior to cutting or serving so that it doesn’t seem dried out.
Check out these delicious stews using Springer Mountain Farms Chicken:
Easy African Peanut Stew (pictured)
