Soup's on, so are stew and chowder

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By Teri Watson
The Sacramento Bee

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Please explain the differences between soup, chowder and stew. They seem to be used interchangeably in various recipes. Thank you.

— Charlene Pollock, via e-mail

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"Soup" is a general term for any combination of meat, fish or vegetables cooked in a liquid. It can be thick or thin, smooth or chunky.

Chowder is an example of a chunky soup. It is rich and thick and contains chunks of food, usually seafood, such as clam chowder. But it can also be vegetable-based, such as corn chowder.

Technically, a stew is any dish prepared by stewing. This is a method of cooking in which food is cooked with a liquid over low heat, slowly, covered with a tight-fitting lid. This is the method used to make tough meat more tender.

The dish called "stew" has meat, usually beef, along with vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and onions. A thick broth is produced from the liquid added to the ingredients before cooking (water, wine, stock or broth) and the natural juices from the food itself.

Although Pollock didn't ask, "bisque" is a related term that can be confusing. Bisque is an example of a smooth soup. Like a chowder, it is rich and thick, but it is puréed. It contains seafood, poultry or vegetables along with cream.

Watson is a Sacramento home economist who has been a nutrition consultant and cooking instructor for nearly 20 years. She is a member of the American Association of Family and Consumer Science. Write: Teri Watson, Taste, The Sacramento Bee, P.O. Box 15779, Sacramento 95852. Fax: 916-556-5625. E-mail: twatson@sacbee.com. Include your full name, phone number and city.