GARNISH

Soup garnishes may be divided into three groups:

1. Garnish in the soup: Major ingredients of the soup such as vegetables, poultry cut into small dices can be considered a garnish. Consommés are normally named after their garnish. Consommé Julienne is garnished with julienne of vegetables.

2. Toppings: Thick soups are normally decorated with a topping. This could be a simple swirl of cream or chopped parsley, dill leaves of mint. Also included in this category are toasted sliced almonds, croutons, grated cheese, and crumbled bacon. Clear soups are rarely served with a topping.

Bread rolls, slices and sticks, cheese straws, melba toast, corn chips and cream cracker biscuits are all popular accompaniments for soup along with butter.

Major ingredients, such as the vegetables in clear vegetable soup, are often considered as 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. (3mm dices)

Vegetable cream soups are usually garnished with carefully cut pieces of the vegetable from which they are made. An elegant way to serve the 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 serving so they won’t sink or lose their fresh appearance. Their Flaors must be appropriate to the soup. Do not overdo soup toppings. The food should be attractive in itself. Topping suggestions for thick soups: Fresh herbs parsley, chives chopped. Fried herbs, such as parsley, sage, chervil, celery leaves, leek julienne, Fine julienne of vegetables, sliced almonds, roasted Grated cheese, Grated parmesan cheese. Sieved egg yolks, Chopped or diced egg whites Croutons, Crumbled bacon Paprika, Flavoured butter, flavored oils, Sour cream, crème Fraiche, 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 Breadsticks Cheese straws Profiteroles (tiny unsweetened cream puff shells) Whole grain wafer.