9 Soups which are the best appetizers

Come winter, the flu or just an appetizer before dinner, soups are the one friend that we all bank on in our time of comfort and need and not to mention; a soothing, delish comfort food at that. There are tons of ways of making the perfect soup with a plethora of flavors, herbs, spices to keep you nice and well appeased before your meal. Here’s Specialfoods’ list of soups to whet your appetite.

1.     Ajiaco – Originating in the Colombian capital of Bogotá, ajiaco is a chunky kind of soup that is typically made using three varieties of potatoes, chicken, and the Galinsoga parviflora herb (commonly referred to as the guascas in Colombia.) In Cuba, it is a hearty stew made from pork, beef, vegetables, chicken, and a variety of starchy roots and tubers classified as viandas.

2.     Acquacotta – A creation of Italy (Tuscany) and originally a peasant food, historically, its primary ingredients were water, tomato, onion, stale bread, olive oil and any spare vegetables or leftovers. It has been described as an ancient dish. This broth-based hot soup is now made with toasted bread, with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetable broth, cheeses, basil, celery, garlic, beans, kale, lemon juice, cabbage, pepper, and potatoes. They also use mushrooms, herbs, leafy vegetables, chard, mint dandelion greens and chicory as other variants for ingredients.

3.     Brown Windsor soup – Although you can guess by the name itself that the soup originates from England, we thought we’d mention it anyway. The Brown Windsor soup could be made from beef steak or Lamb, and bouquet garni, carrots, leeks, parsnips, Madeira wine all of which were a popular thing in England during the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

4.     Cazuela – Spain has news for you, dear Specialfoodz enthusiasts! The Cazuela is a Clear broth that is made using rice, squash or pumpkin, potato, corn, and chicken or beef. Eaten in South America and Spain, it combines the native spirit along with other ingredients that were later introduced.

5.     Rasam – Granted, Indians usually treat the Rasam, a south Indian dish more or less as curry and not soup but this is a sort of broth that actually is eaten sometimes all by itself so it could qualify as soup. It mostly consists of various different spices from around India, water and plenty of tamarind that gives it its tangy, spicy and upbeat flavor. 

6.     Sambar – Another south Indian dish, that is not necessarily considered soup but an accompaniment that is had with rice, the sambar had to make it to this list as southerners often drink it all up just as we do with soups when we have it as appetizers. Unlike the Rasam, Sambar, along with spices and tamarind also has a lentil-based vegetable stew to add to its already unique flavor. The Sambar is also made in Sri Lanka.

7.     Curry Mee – A Malaysian dish that is made from thin yellow noodles or/and string thin mee hoon (rice vermicelli) with coconut milk, chili/sambal, spicy curry soup, and a choice of prawns, dried tofu, chicken, egg, cuttlefish, cockle and mint leaves.

8.     Dashi – First made in Japan, the Dashi is a cold, chilled, clear fish stock made using kombu (sea kelp) and katsuobushi (smoked bonito flakes). The Dashi broth is often used as a base for miso soup and other Japanese soup broths.

Joumou – A chunky soup originating from Haiti, this mildly spicy pumpkin soup is made using pieces of potato, beef, plantains and vegetables such as carrots, parsley, celery, green cabbage, and onions. It is eaten every first of January in honor of the Haitian independence