Garnish

Major ingredients, such as the vegetables in clear vegetable soup, are often considered garnishes. This group of garnishes also includes meats, poultry, seafood, pasta products, and grains such as barley or rice. They are treated as part of the preparation or recipe itself, not as something added on.

Consommés are generally named after their garnish, such as consommé brunoise, which contains vegetables cut into brunoise shape (⅛-inch, or 3-mm, dice).

Vegetable cream soups are usually garnished with carefully cut pieces of the vegetable from which they are made.

An elegant way to serve soup with a solid garnish is to arrange the garnish attractively in the bottom of a heated soup plate. This plate is set before the diner, and then the soup is ladled from a tureen by the dining room staff.

Clear soups are generally served without toppings to let the attractiveness of the clear broth and the carefully cut vegetables speak for themselves. Occasional exceptions are toppings of chopped parsley or chives.

Thick soups, especially those that are all one color, are often decorated with a topping. Toppings should be placed on the soup just before service so they won't sink or lose their fresh appearance. Their flavors must be appropriate to the soup.

Do not overdo soup toppings. The food should be attractive in itself. Topping suggestions for thick soups include the following:

• Fresh herbs (such as parsley or chives), chopped
• Fine julienne of vegetables
• Sliced almonds, toasted
• Grated cheese
• Sieved egg yolk
• Chopped or riced egg whites
• Croutons
• Crumbled bacon
• Paprika
• Flavored butters
• Flavored oils
• Fried herbs, such as parsley, sage, chervil, celery leaves, leek julienne
• Sour cream, crème fraîche, or whipped cream, either plain or flavored with herbs or spices

American soups are traditionally served with crackers. In addition to the usual saltines, other suggestions for crisp accompaniments are:

• Melba toast
• Corn chips or tortilla chips
• Breadsticks
• Cheese straws
• Whole grain wafers
• Profiteroles (tiny unsweetened cream puff shells)