Stew vs. Soup: The Difference Between Stew and Soup (2024)

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By Pillsbury Kitchens

Created December 10, 2019

Stew vs. Soup: The Difference Between Stew and Soup (1)

The Difference Between Soup and Stew

Soup and stew both serve the same purpose: To provide us with a nourishing, comforting meal the whole family will love. They’re also both served in bowls, they’re both delicious and they both pair perfectly with Pillsbury™ crescents or biscuits for dunking. Beyond that, however, there are several distinctions that make up a soup vs. a stew. Let’s simmer more on that, shall we?

The main difference between soup and stew is found in the primary ingredient: liquid. In soup, the liquid is the main deliverer of the ingredients within the pot. Soup can either be completely liquified, or it can include other elements (such as meat, fish or vegetables) that are fully submerged in broth, water or stock.

Stew, however, is much heartier and thicker than soup. The ingredients are chunkier, too, and while the overall dish includes liquid, it contains just enough to cover the main ingredients.

Another way to look at it: Soup is any combination of ingredients cooked in liquid. Stew is any dish that’s prepared by stewing—that is, submerging the ingredients with just enough liquid to cook them through at a simmer in a covered pot for a long time.

The Details on Soup

Soup is one of the oldest prepared foods that has made its way into modern cooking—there is evidence to suggest that soup existed as far back as 20,000 B.C.! The category of soup is extremely broad and includes a wide variety of bases, add-ins and toppings. It also varies greatly by cooking time—while some soups simmer for hours, others are ready to eat in 30 minutes or less.

The Details on Stew

Just thinking about stew gives us the warm fuzzy feelings inside. It’s the kind of food that sticks to your ribs, keeps you cozy like a big sweater on a chilly day and doesn’t take much to turn into a hearty, filling meal for the whole family.

Unlike soup, stew is defined more narrowly: It’s almost always served warm, tends to be thick with chunky with larger-cut ingredients and usually benefits from a longer cook time. A stew’s meat or vegetables are barely covered with cooking liquid (usually water, broth or stock, oftentimes enhanced by wine or beer for additional flavor) and, during cooking, the liquid reduces to a gravy-like base that is sometimes thickened by flour, cornstarch or a roux.

Like soup, stew can be made on the stove, in the slow cooker or in the Instant Pot®. It can be made just before serving, prepped and refrigerated ahead of time or frozen and stocked for whenever you need a cozy meal.

Stews can benefit from a secondary serving component—such as mashed potatoes, noodles or rice—but they also taste delightful on their own. In the case of our popular Dump-It Slow-Cooker Beef Stew, everything cooks in the slow cooker and preps in just 5 minutes so you can have a hearty bowl of yums with minimal effort.

What you’ll need:

6-quart slow cooker
Wooden spoon or spatula
Small mixing bowl
Whisk or fork

Ingredients:

2 lb beef stew meat, chopped
1 package (1.5 oz) beef stew seasoning mix
1 bag (12 oz) frozen mixed vegetables (preferably with onions)
14 oz baby yellow potatoes
8 oz baby-cut carrots
1 carton (32 oz) Progresso™ beef flavored broth
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

First, spray slow cooker insert with cooking spray. In slow cooker, place the stew meat, beef stew seasoning mix, frozen vegetables, baby yellow potatoes, baby-cut carrots and beef broth. Stir to combine. Cover and cook everything on High heat 5 to 6 hours (or Low heat 8 to 10 hours).

Before serving, transfer 1/2 cup of the stew broth into a small bowl and beat with flour, using whisk, until smooth. Pour back into the stew and stir until the mixture is thickened.

Expert tip: Use prechopped beef stew meat from your local grocer or butcher for even less prep work!

Stew vs. Chowder

While we’re talking about all things we love to eat from a bowl, let’s discuss the difference between stew and chowder! Chowder is a type of soup or stew that’s often prepared with milk or cream and butter, and thickened with a roux, crackers or hard biscuits. Oftentimes they’re made with vegetables or seafood, but some of our favorite chowders are meat-based (such as our Easy Ham and Potato Corn Chowder). Chowders also feature chunky ingredients and a thicker, creamier texture more akin to stew than soup.

FAQs

Stew vs. Soup: The Difference Between Stew and Soup? ›

Stews are generally thicker than soups, being made up primarily of larger, solid chunks of ingredients. In other words, stews are thicker and chunkier—and always have solid ingredients. Generally speaking, if there is so much liquid that the ingredients are fully submerged, it's a soup.

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What is the difference between a stew and a soup? ›

Soup Uses More Liquid

In soup, the liquid is the primary ingredient. Soup can be completely liquified or it can consist of other elements (like meat and vegetables) that are fully submerged in water, stock, or broth. Stew, meanwhile, is typically "chunkier." It contains just enough liquid to cover the main ingredients.

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What makes a stew a stew? ›

A stew is a combination of larger-cut ingredients like vegetables, meat, or fish that are just barely covered with cooking liquid, and simmered over low heat for a lengthier period of time. While a stew cooks, the liquid reduces significantly, making it much thicker than your average soup.

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What makes soup a soup? ›

Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but may be cool or cold), that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth.

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What is a thick stew called? ›

A potage is a category of thick soups, stews, or porridges, in some of which meat and vegetables are boiled together with water until they form a thick mush. Bisques are heavy cream soups traditionally prepared with shellfish, but can be made with any type of seafood or other base ingredients.

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At what point does a soup become a stew? ›

A soup could become a stew if cooked long enough that most of the liquid boils off or is absorbed by the ingredients. Or you could add more liquid to a stew to make it soupier.

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Is Oatmeal a soup or a stew? ›

While most cereals are cold and most soups are hot, exceptions like gazpacho (eaten cold) and oatmeal (eaten hot) prove cereal is just a synonym for soup (we're currently debating adding some soups to our “Which Cereal Are You” quiz).

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Is gumbo a soup or a stew? ›

Gumbo is a hearty stew made from combinations of seafood, meat (such as andouille, chicken and ham) or vegetables that's served hot over cooked rice. Gumbo can be thickened with okra, file, or a roux, a French and Creole method of cooking equal parts flour and fat.

Is chili a soup or a stew? ›

Chili is often considered a separate type of dish in itself, with many different varieties falling under its umbrella. But technically, it's a stew. No matter which ingredients you include, you'll never see a recipe asking you to puree a chili, like you often do with a soup.

How to turn stew into soup? ›

Leftovers like curries and stews can either be turned into a soup with the addition of tomatoes and stock for a chunky soup, or blended and mixed with coconut or regular milk to turn it into a smooth soup. Almost any vegetable – cooked or raw – can be turned into a soup.

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What is the secret ingredient in soup? ›

It may sound a bit strange and unusual for some, but vinegar is a common ingredient in some soup recipes, and there is a good reason for it. If you think about it, vinegar is really a flavor-enhancer (umami). That's why it is so often used in cooking, sauces, and salad dressings. The same is true with soups.

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What are the 4 types of soup? ›

There are four main categories of soup: Thin, Thick, Cold and National. These types of soup are widely recognised in today's modern kitchen.

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What needs to be in a soup to be considered a soup? ›

soup, liquid food prepared by cooking meat, poultry, fish, legumes, or vegetables with seasonings in water, stock, milk, or some other liquid medium.