Which statement best describes consommé compared to a standard stock or broth?

Which statement best describes consommé compared to a standard stock or broth?

• A. It is a clarified, crystal-clear soup with concentrated flavor, served as a finished dish.
• B. It is a thickened soup made with dairy.
• C. It is used only as a base for sauces.
• D. It is opaque and heavily salted.

Answer: (A)

Consommé is a clarified stock or broth that is served as a finished soup. It’s clarified to remove cloudiness and fat, often using a raft of egg whites (and sometimes lean ground meat and mirepoix) that traps impurities as it coagulates. The result is a crystal-clear, richly flavored liquid that can stand on its own as a soup course. This clarity and concentrated flavor set it apart from a standard stock or broth, which remains cloudy and is typically used as a base for other preparations rather than as a finished soup. Dairy-thickened soups are not consommé, and while consommé can be used to build sauces, its defining feature is that it is a clear, served-on-its-own soup. It should be bright and transparent, not opaque, and while it is seasoned, it isn’t inherently defined by heavy salting.

Consommé is a clarified stock or broth that is served as a finished soup. It’s clarified to remove cloudiness and fat, often using a raft of egg whites (and sometimes lean ground meat and mirepoix) that traps impurities as it coagulates. The result is a crystal-clear, richly flavored liquid that can stand on its own as a soup course. This clarity and concentrated flavor set it apart from a standard stock or broth, which remains cloudy and is typically used as a base for other preparations rather than as a finished soup. Dairy-thickened soups are not consommé, and while consommé can be used to build sauces, its defining feature is that it is a clear, served-on-its-own soup. It should be bright and transparent, not opaque, and while it is seasoned, it isn’t inherently defined by heavy salting.