Serving soup - dealing with the liquid in a manner fair to all

[Regina3000]

My partner likes soups I make, but unless it's a creamy soup, he gets really upset if I try to give him a fair-to-all-eaters amount of the broth of the soup, instead of loading his bowl up with the solids. Drives. Me. NUTS. He doesn't seem to get that if he gets a bowl full of solids, the rest of us (namely me) are stuck with a higher liquid-to-solid ratio than he gets away with.

 

I don't make really liquidy soups, and I try to thicken the broth when I can, but there are times when that is not practical, like when making a chicken soup. Creamy soups don't seem to be as much of an issue.

 

I there anyone else out there who has had the same issue who has come up with a solution? Or who maybe wants to vent along with me?

[SusieQ]

I *want* the brothy stuff and lots less of the solid stuff, but it's damn hard when people don't make brothy soups to begin with but instead insist on making what I like to call sludgy soups! Ah well, good thing I know how to make soup.    

[Regina3000]

29 minutes ago, SusieQ said:

I *want* the brothy stuff and lots less of the solid stuff, but it's damn hard when people don't make brothy soups to begin with but instead insist on making what I like to call sludgy soups! Ah well, good thing I know how to make soup.    

 

Yeah, I like brothy, too, but I ALSO like to get my fair share of the solid bits. He's like this with pretty much everything. He doesn't stop to think about how what he does affects what I get to eat.

[Beebs]

What does he think of stew??

 

I have a Rachel Ray cookbook (yeah, yeah, I know! ) and there are a couple recipes for something she called "stoup". Stew + soup. Watery stew or thick soup - I can't wrap my head around it, but ok sure.

 

 

[heidih]

7 minutes ago, MetsFan5 said:

I’d suggest he eats canned soup. 

 

Without the added can of water

[robirdstx]

3 hours ago, Regina3000 said:

My partner likes soups I make, but unless it's a creamy soup, he gets really upset if I try to give him a fair-to-all-eaters amount of the broth of the soup, instead of loading his bowl up with the solids. Drives. Me. NUTS. He doesn't seem to get that if he gets a bowl full of solids...

Is there anyone else out there who has had the same issue who has come up with a solution? Or who maybe wants to vent along with me?

 

My solution: I serve myself first and then he serves himself. And then I try to keep my mouth shut! 

Edited February 26, 2018 by robirdstx (log)

[Toliver]

Or hand him a sleeve of crackers so he can make more "solid" stuff in his soup on his own. Whatta whiny baby!

[Anna N]

 Many soups lend themselves to this approach. Take out your share of the soupy soup and then take the stick blender to the rest of it and voila you have your kind of soup and he has his creamy soup.  It won’t work with all soups but it certainly will work with many.  

[Regina3000]

1 hour ago, robirdstx said:

 

My solution: I serve myself first and then he serves himself. And then I try to keep my mouth shut! 

 

 

 

That would be great, if there weren't leftovers. Perhaps I should just dish it out and put the rest away before calling him to eat...

[Regina3000]

32 minutes ago, Anna N said:

 Many soups lend themselves to this approach. Take out your share of the soupy soup and then take the stick blender to the rest of it and voila you have your kind of soup and he has his creamy soup.  It won’t work with all soups but it certainly will work with many.  

 

That will work great for some soups.

 

I don't make soup all that often, so maybe it's just not worth worrying about.

[Shalmanese]

I don't understand, it seems like you both value the solid stuff more than the brothy stuff. So shouldn't the solution just be to make a soup with more solid stuff and less brothy stuff?

[Toliver]

My earlier response was a little impulsive and off the cuff, so to speak.

Is soup the main course? Or is it an appetizer? 

Thinking about it, perhaps you could add more protein to his soup portion (keep a shredded rotisserie chicken on hand in your refrigerator). Or add some cheese (melted like the cheese on top of the crouton in French Onion Soup). Or make a grilled cheese sandwich to go with the soup...anything to distract him from claiming the "solids" in the soup. The extra protein would make him feel more full and he'll think he "won". 

 

[pastrygirl]

You could go all fine-dining and see what he says.  Strain and reserve the chunks, then artfully portion them into the center of your warmed bowls and serve.  Put the broth in a vessel (cream pitcher/gravy boat/teapot) and pour the broth around the solids. 

[Regina3000]

On 2/27/2018 at 8:22 AM, Shalmanese said:

I don't understand, it seems like you both value the solid stuff more than the brothy stuff. So shouldn't the solution just be to make a soup with more solid stuff and less brothy stuff?

 

I try, but sometimes it doesn't work out that way. And really, there's maybe 1/4" to 1/2" of brothy stuff over the solid.

[lindag]

My favorite wintertime soup is a Potato, Sausage and Kale soup that is SO good; the broth is every bit as good as the solids.

Recipes available via Google or I can post the one I use.

Some recipes use kielbasa,  prefer spicy Italian.

Edited March 2, 2018 by lindag (log)