Categories of Cold Soups

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Published 2010

Cold soups are divided into three main categories:

Sweet: Served as dessert and often referred to as dessert soup. Most are based on sweetened fruit purée or a fruit-based syrup. They are often garnished with fruit and may be enhanced with scoops of sorbet or ice cream. As they are dessert items, sweet cold soups are usually the responsibility of the pastry department.
Semisweet: Usually based on fruit, but with several differences from sweet cold soups:
- Degree of sweetness. A semisweet cold soup has less sugar added to it. Sometimes it has no added sugar and relies only on the natural sweetness of the fruit.
- Acid balance. A semisweet cold soup has a strong acid element, giving it a sweet-and-sour taste.
- Place in the meal. Semisweet cold soup is usually served at the beginning of the meal, as an appetizer.
Savory: Typically served as an appetizer at the beginning of a meal, a savory cold soup should be light in texture, with a refreshing flavor. These soups are meant to stimulate the appetite, not satiate it. Some are simply chilled versions of hot appetizer soups. Others are made from raw ingredients.