What is a stock?

Stock is a flavourful liquid made by simmering bones, meat, vegetables, and seasonings in water. It’s used as a base for soups, sauces, stews, risottos, and gravies.

Key Ingredients

Bones – chicken, beef, fish
Vegetables – onion, carrot, celery
Herbs – bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns
Water – enough to cover ingredients

How to Make Them

Combine ingredients in a pot
Simmer gently for 2–6 hours
Skim off any foam or impurities
Strain and cool before storing

Stocks should be strained and then chilled ASAP (one tip is to pour it in to a tray to increase the surface are so it cools quickly) as they can be very susceptible to bacteria growth so you need to get them refrigerated to 5°C as soon as you can.

Stocks are very suitable to freezing - I personally use ice cube trays to freeze stock and put the cubes in clearly labelled bags so you can use as little or as much as required without any waste.

Stock vs Broth vs Bouillon

Type	Made From	Texture	Use
Stock	Bones + veg	Rich	Sauces, soups
Broth	Meat + veg	Light	Sipping, light soups
Bouillon	Powder/cube	Instant	Quick flavouring

What is a Glaze?

A glaze is a stock that has been reduced until it is thick and syrupy and is used to enhance the flavour of sauces and to 'finish off dishes to give them a shine and to add a depth of flavour.

Soups

There are many different types of soups and they all have different textures and viscosity.

Broth

A soup made from stock so it's light and sippable such as Minestrone.

Cream

Nice and simple meaning to this one, simply a soup that has been finished with cream! Cream of chicken and cream of mushroom are just two delicious examples of a cream soup. A puree based soup is also nice with a dash of cream and (as I've said countless times in my recipes) it can take a soup to another level of deliciousness!

Purée

I love a good puréed soup (especially if you add a bit of cream) such a heart-warming texture and packed full of flavour. A hand blender or a food mixer is required to make a puréed soup.

Velouté

This is a light French style of soup made from stock and thickened with a roux (flour and butter).

Consommé

A clear, un-thickened soup with a strong flavour.

Vichyssoise

Vichyssoise is a chilled, creamy French-style soup made from puréed leeks, onions, potatoes, cream, and stock, traditionally served cold and garnished with chives.

Bisque

A bisque is a smooth, creamy, and richly flavored French soup, traditionally made from shellfish such as lobster, crab, shrimp, or crayfish, and thickened with cream or rice.

Bouillabaisse

Bouillabaisse is a traditional Provençal fish soup (or stew) from Marseille, France, made with a variety of Mediterranean fish, shellfish, and aromatic herbs, simmered in a saffron-infused broth

Chowder

Originating in the USA a chowder is a type of thick, hearty soup or stew, usually made with milk or cream, potatoes, and often seafood or vegetables.

Potage

A potage is a French term for a thick soup, usually made by simmering vegetables, grains, and sometimes meat or fish until they form a hearty, smooth mixture.

Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a traditional Spanish cold soup made primarily from raw blended vegetables, most famously tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, onions, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and bread.

Soup type	Base / stock	Thickening	Texture	Typical ingredients	Serving
Broth	Meat/vegetables simmered in water	None	Clear, light	Meat, vegetables, herbs	Hot
Cream	Stock or milk	Cream, sometimes roux	Rich, creamy	Vegetables, dairy	Hot
Purée	Stock or water	Natural starch, blended	Smooth, thick	Root veg, pulses, grains	Hot
Velouté	Light stock	Blond roux	Velvety, smooth	Vegetables, sometimes cream	Hot
Consommé	Strong clarified stock	Clarified with egg whites	Crystal-clear	Meat stock, aromatics	Hot or cold
Vichyssoise	Chicken/veg stock	Cream + potato starch	Silky, creamy	Leeks, onions, potatoes, cream	Cold (traditionally)
Bisque	Shellfish stock	Rice or cream	Smooth, velvety	Lobster, crab, shrimp	Hot
Bouillabaisse	Fish stock with saffron	Natural reduction	Rustic, hearty	Fish, shellfish, herbs	Hot
Chowder	Milk/cream base	Roux or potato starch	Chunky, creamy	Seafood, potatoes, corn	Hot
Potage	Stock or water	Natural starch/purée	Thick, rustic	Vegetables, grains, meat/fish	Hot
Gazpacho	Raw veg + bread	Bread + olive oil	Smooth, fresh	Tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, garlic	Cold

Stocks Soups and Sauces