Callaloo is Carribean soup made with a combination of leafy vegetables such as dasheen or spinach, coconut milk, salted meat, yams, onions, peppers, green bananas, and dumplings consisting of flour and cornmeal. Once done, callaloo is served on its own or with toasted bread and avocado slices.
The soup is traditionally consumed during the carnival season, but it's also regularly prepared at local parties and in roadside bars as an energy booster.
MOST ICONIC Callaloo
Sopa de albondigas is a Mexican dish consisting of small meatballs that are fried, then simmered in a tomato-based soup. The meatballs are usually made from turkey, chicken, or beef, seasoned with smoked paprika, coriander, garlic, onions, and breadcrumbs.
After being simmered in the soup, the dish is typically garnished with avocado slices, salsa, cheese, sour cream, and chopped green onions. This soup is often accompanied by corn tortillas with butter and salt on the side. It is believed that these savory meatballs originated as a Berber or Arab dish which was brought over to Spain, and later to Mexico via conquistadors.
MOST ICONIC Sopa de albondigas
Sopa de pollo y fideos is a classic Puerto Rican chicken soup with noodles, a comforting dish that is best consumed on chilly or rainy days. It is made with chicken pieces, chicken stock, sofrito, olive oil, onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, noodles, and various spices.
The noodles are added near the end of cooking because they only need a short amount of cooking time to become tender and fully cooked. It is believed that this soup tastes the best when reheated the next day.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Cheddar beer soup is a traditional soup originating from Wisconsin. The soup is usually made with a combination of cheddar cheese, beer, butter, onions, carrots, garlic, flour, milk, chicken stock, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. The onions, carrots, and garlic are sautéed in butter and mixed with flour, milk, stock, and beer.
The mixture is simmered over low heat until the carrots are tender. The cheese is grated, tossed with cornstarch, and whisked into the blended soup. It's seasoned with salt and pepper, and sometimes garnished with popcorn for a nice visual touch and extra texture.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Asopao de gandules is a variety of Puerto Rican asopao, made with pigeon peas as the key ingredient. They are typically combined with onions, ham, sofrito, chicken stock, rice, tomato sauce, and olive oil. The result is a hearty stew that is often enriched with plantain dumplings, when the dish is known as asopao de gandules con bolitas de platano.
Chock-full of Hispanic ingredients, the stew is ready for consumption when thickened, and the rice is fully cooked. It is recommended to serve it warm, but it can also be reheated and enjoyed the next day.
Pozole is a soupy and aromatic Mexican stew that comes in three versions – red, white, and green, symbolizing the colors of the Mexican flag. Although there are many variations, the white version known as pozole blanco is usually made with a combination of pork, hominy, garlic, onions, and garnishes such as avocado slices, lime wedges, and diced onions.
The onions, garlic, salt, and water are blended until smooth, and then mixed with the rest of the ingredients. The mixture is covered with water and simmered for a few hours until everything is fully cooked. The stew is served in individual bowls and it's usually garnished with avocado slices, lime wedges, and diced onions.
MOST ICONIC Pozole blanco
Served every day in the dining room of the United States Senate, Senate bean soup is a dish that dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. The soup is made with navy beans, onions, and ham hock, while the original version additionally included celery, mashed potatoes, parsley, and garlic.
MOST ICONIC Senate Bean Soup
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Although New England clam chowder boasts with its salt pork, mollusk, potato, and onion mixture, New Yorkers have their own Manhattan variety of the dish, a light tomato stew similar to minestrone, filled with carrots, onions, potatoes, celery, and lots of large, chopped chowder clams accompanied by aromatic herbs such as thyme, oregano, and pepper.
It is said that the flavor significantly improves after a day, so if making it at home, it's best to let it sit and reheat it the next day. As for its origins, some claim that it was invented in Rhode Island regardless of Manhattan in its name and that the original recipe was inspired by immigrants from Italy or Portugal.
MOST ICONIC Manhattan Clam Chowder
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Yellow pea soup is a French-Canadian comfort food staple originating from Quebec. It was originally prepared by French Canadian settlers who had to make use of basic ingredients they brought with them from Europe, such as dried peas and salt pork.
Nowadays, the most authentic version is prepared with yellow peas, salt park, and fresh herbs. After the soup has been cooked, pork is usually chopped and returned to the pot. Interestingly, there is also the commercial version of this soup, known as Habitant Pea Soup.
Fish broth is a flavorful Trini soup made with vegetables, fresh herbs, fish, and either pasta or dumplings. It is believed that the broth tastes even better the next day when it gets reheated. The dish varies from one household or restaurant to the next one, since the flavor of the broth depends on how the fish is marinated and seasoned.
Fish broth is traditionally served as a main dish, unlike other countries where soups are typically served as a starter.
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