When soup is served for a luncheon or dinner, Emily Post’s “Etiquette” offers the following advice:
--Soup should be the first of six courses. It should be followed by fish, the entree, salad, dessert and coffee. Six is the maximum number of courses for even the most elaborate dinner; and for an informal luncheon, two or three courses are sufficient--soup, entree and dessert.
--Soup at a luncheon is served in two-handled cups. The soup is eaten with a teaspoon, or the cup may be picked up and the soup may be sipped, if it has sufficiently cooled. A clear soup is usually served.
--Sherry is the first wine offered at dinner, and then usually with a soup that contains Sherry in the preparation. Sherry should never be offered with cream of chicken soup or vichyssoise, but with turtle or black-bean soup, for instance.
--Clear soups are often served in a shallow bowl rather than a cup. When the level of soup is so low that you must lift the bowl to avoid scraping the bottom, lift the near edge with your left hand and tip the bowl away from you. Then spoon the soup away from you.
--Both soup cups and soup bowls should be served with a saucer or plate beneath them. The spoon, when not in use or when the soup is finished, is laid on the saucer underneath.
Amy Vanderbilt, in the “Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette,” says soup should always be kept flowing in the opposite direction from one’s lap. The soup spoon should be filled from its far side, and soup then poured gently into the mouth with its near side.
Vanderbilt says that if dumplings, vegetables, mushrooms or other garnishes are floating on top, eat these first by using the spoon, before the liquid part of the soup is drunk. If noodles are at the bottom of the bowl, spoon them up before consuming the liquid.
If you take a large spoonful of extremely hot soup, don’t spit it out, concludes Vanderbilt. Instead, take a quick drink of water to cool your mouth. If you have burned your mouth, an exception may be made to the rule against drinking with food already in your mouth.
FAQs
When soup is served for a luncheon or dinner, Emily Post's “Etiquette” offers the following advice: --Soup should be the first of six courses. It should be followed by fish, the entree, salad, dessert and coffee.
Is soup considered lunch or dinner? ›
Soup is commonly a starter in a three-course meal or a tasty lunch served with crusty bread on a cold winter's day. That may be so, , but did you know it is perfectly acceptable to eat soup as a main course? As unlikely as it sounds, it is completely true and most definitely scrumptious.
When should soup be served? ›
Generally soup is served first, followed by the appetizer…a chef speciality/ introduction to main course, then salad…consist of green leafs, raw vegetables etc.
Does soup count as dinner? ›
To rightly be considered as dinner, a soup must not only be filling, but must also be correct on the calorie chart. Hearty soups like Russian Borsch, Vietnamese pho, and Italian Minestrone are considered as main courses. They have an apt mix of vegetables, protein and carbohydrates in a single bowl.
Is it okay to have soup for lunch? ›
A brilliant option for a healthy lunch is to eat a well-balanced, nutritional soup. This is because they're a very creative, convenient and nutritious type of meal compared to fast food, unhealthy snacks and carbohydrate-dense lunches.
Do you serve soup or salad first at a formal dinner? ›
--Soup should be the first of six courses. It should be followed by fish, the entree, salad, dessert and coffee. Six is the maximum number of courses for even the most elaborate dinner; and for an informal luncheon, two or three courses are sufficient--soup, entree and dessert.
Why is soup served first in a meal? ›
Many research studies proved that soup decreases the intake of the main meal more than any other item such as juice. Scientifically, soups, along with being appetizing, help in secretion of digestive juices inside the stomach, which aids in proper digestion of the main meal afterwards.
What is the rule for serving soup in terms of temperature? ›
Culinary experts recommend the following soup temperatures for quality: Hot Clear Soups: serve near boiling 210°F (99°C) Hot Cream or Thick Soups: serve between 190°F to 200°F (88°C to 93°C) Cold Soups: heated, then cooled and served at 40°F (4°C) or lower.
Is soup an appetizer or entree? ›
Appetizers connote that a dinner will follow. Although it's possible to have appetizers without a main course, this isn't often the case. Some examples of appetizers include soups, salads, chowders, etc.
Is soup a side dish or a meal? ›
Soup and a grilled cheese is a meal. So while soup can be part of a meal, if you invite me over to your house and serve me one single, solitary bowl of soup—sans accoutrements—I've got the Dinner Party Police on speed dial. There's simply not enough in soup, even a hearty chicken noodle, to carry a full meal.
If it's a sit-down dinner, put the soup in a big tureen and have the soup bowls on the table. Then have the server ladle the soup into each diner's bowl.
What is the rule of thumb for serving soup? ›
When serving hot soups, always make sure to serve the soup in warmed bowls so the soup stays hot on its way to the table; likewise, cold soups should be served in chilled bowls.
What is the etiquette for soup and bread? ›
The correct way to eat soup at formal gatherings dictates that you should never dip your bread into your soup. Proper soup etiquette for bread is to sip your soup from your spoon, place your spoon on your plate, and then use the same hand you use for your spoon to pick up your bread and take a bite.
What is soup and when is it served? ›
A soup is a flavourful and nutritious liquid food served at the beginning of a meal or a snack. Soup serve in cafeteria or in restaurant. Advertisem*nt. theomark theomark. In short, clear soups should be served at 210°F (99°C), creamy and thick soups at 190°F (88°C), and cold soups at 40°F (4°C) or lower.
Is soup a starter or appetizer? ›
Appetizers connote that a dinner will follow. Although it's possible to have appetizers without a main course, this isn't often the case. Some examples of appetizers include soups, salads, chowders, etc.
Is soup served before appetizer? ›
The most basic full course meal is made up of 2 or 3 courses and can feature up to 12 or more courses. The course always starts with soup, appetizer, salad and ends with drinks and dessert, so the SOUP comes first before salads or appetizer.
