French Soups: 10 Most Popular French Soups

Bisque is a thick, creamy soup made with seafood, alcohol, and spices. The origin of the name bisque is a matter of debate. While some claim it refers to the seafood element of the soup being cooked twice (bis cuits), others say it is so-called because it is inspired by the ingredients used in the Bay of Biscay. It is likely that Bisque was once a fisherman’s dish, as historians have documentation of the shellfish soup from the 17th century. Try our easy prawn bisque recipe.

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Not only is French onion soup one of the most popular French soups, but it is also one of the best-known French dishes of any type. It appears on restaurant menus across the globe. French onion soup consists of caramelised onions in a beef stock broth. It is typically served with a crouton of toasted baguette and topped with cheese. The soup and crouton are baked in the oven to gratinate the cheese.

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Consommé is a thin, clear soup made from clarified stock. It was originally a Medieval dish that has evolved over the years. Despite the watery appearance of the soup, it is jam-packed with flavour. Consommé is often only found in high-class restaurants, as it is time-consuming to make. The process involves extracting as much flavour from the ingredients as possible while removing the fat to create a crystal-clear liquid. Sometimes. Chefs serve the consommé as a broth with other delicate ingredients. It is also sometimes used as the basis for other dishes.

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An ingredient widely used in French cuisine is garlic, so unsurprisingly, garlic soup is a popular dish in France. Garlic soup, also known as tourin, uses large quantities of garlic and onions mixed with stock and a roux. It is traditional in southern France to serve the soup to newlyweds, and a town called Villereal has an annual tourin cook-off. Read the recipe.

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Vichyssoise is a thick soup of blended leeks, potatoes, cream, onions, and chicken stock. People usually serve the dish cold with a garnish of chives. Some say that French chef Jules Gouffe invented the soup in 1859. However, others believe that French chef Louis Diat was the original creator, and he developed the dish while working at the New York Ritz-Carlton and named the soup after his hometown of Vichy. Read our recipe for vichyssoise here.

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Another form of garlic soup is soupe a l’ail, which originates from the Middle Ages. At that time, garlic was expensive, so only the elite ate garlic soup. Soupe a l’aile is a traditional soup of France’s Provence and Occitanie regions. You can read our recipe for soupe a l’ail here.

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Like the Italian minestrone soup, soupe au pistou is a chunky vegetable soup with pasta. The basis of the soup is a traditional French paste of olive oil, garlic, and basil. Some people also add tomatoes and grated cheese to the paste. Sometimes people stir the paste into the soup’s broth. Alternatively, people serve the paste in separate bowls so individuals can choose how much of the paste to add to their soup.

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Many French soups are vegetable-based, but Garbure is a hearty meat and vegetable soup. It is similar to a stew but with a thinner broth. The soup contains meat that is slow-cooked with vegetables. While some people serve the soup as one dish, others separate the soup and serve it as two courses. They remove the meat and serve the vegetable and broth elements first, then serve the meat as the main course.

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Potage Parmentier is the French version of leek and potato soup. Although it is similar to vichyssoise, potage Parmentier is served hot as an appetiser, lunch, or side dish. Some chefs replace the leeks with onions; other soup variations include parsley, parsnips, asparagus, or broccoli. The soup is always blended regardless of the ingredients to create a thick and smooth consistency.

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