Do You Know the Difference Between Soup and Stew? (2024)

When the temperature drops and snow begins to fall, you can always count on hearty soup recipes and stews to keep you warm through the long winter months. Often, the words "soup" and "stew" are used interchangeably, even though they're not technically the same. What exactly is the difference between a soup and stew, though? Well, the answer is quite simple, and is dependent upon the consistency of said soup or stew. The difference between a soup and stew is how much of the dish is liquid- versus solid-based.

Typically, soups like Ree Drummond's chicken and noodles or slow cooker chicken tortilla soup, are made largely of a liquid, such as water or chicken broth, and often contain various meats, vegetables, grains, pasta and more. A stew on the other hand, like this super-easy Sunday night stew and this beef-and-bean chili, usually have a much smaller amount of liquid and are mostly made up of solids, like meat and vegetables. While soups often contain noodles and other types of pasta or grains, it's more common for a stew to be served as a topping for some sort of pasta, grain or starch like cornbread or rice.

Why is chili not a soup?

Chili is a special case! Though many people think of chili as its own category, it is technically just a type of stew, with origins in Tex-Mex cuisine. Chili isn't a soup mostly because it usually is more solid than it is liquid, with most chili recipes containing majority meat and/or vegetables that are simmered in a tomato sauce.

What classifies as a stew?

A dish can be categorized as a "stew" based mainly on the ratio of liquid to meat, poultry, or vegetables. As opposed to the contents of a soup, the ingredients in a stew are only slightly covered by a liquid like broth or tomato sauce. Stews are often prepared by simmering and reducing for a substantial amount of time. Additionally, a stew is typically pretty dense because of its mostly solid makeup, while the ingredients of a soup float in the liquid. With that said, a stew is almost always thicker than your average soup.

Can you turn soup into stew?

The answer is yes, you can! Since soups are thinner than stews, here's how to thicken stew:
remove extra liquid by either straining it or taking a few cups out with a measuring cup. Depending on your recipe, you could also try adding a sauce, such as tomato or other pureed vegetables, to the soup as a thickener and simmering uncovered until the consistency is more reminiscent of a stew.