There are many soup and stew recipes to choose from, but the beginning cook often wonders what the difference is between a soup, stew, and chili. What makes these three different meals unique? The answer lies in the amount of ingredients in each recipe, and how thick the final product turns out to be.

Soups are typically thin. Their main ingredient is liquid—not always water. Some soups require broth or stock from a cooked chicken or beef concoction. While that type of stock is mostly water with meat flavor, other soups use the juices from vegetables including tomatoes as part of the ingredients list. You may find olive oil or vegetable oil as a required ingredient in addition to water. The standard soup recipe includes some combination of meat and vegetables, meat-only or vegetarian style, but soups can be made from anything up to and including fruit. Some soups require milk or heavy cream to get the consistency right. Soup should be served in a bowl or a plate with a deep recess.

Stews are thicker and heartier than many soups. A stew may require more oil, bulkier vegetables and bigger chunks of meat. A stew’s liquid portion can be thin, like soup, or they may be as thick as a typical gravy preparation, depending on the recipe. Some stews require a thickener such as corn starch. This gives the stew its heartier texture and appearance. The major difference between a stew and a soup outside the consistency is where it fits in the serving order. Soup recipes are often used as starters, while stews are more likely to be found as a main course.

Chili is the wild card in this particular culinary deck; it can be served as thin as soup or as thick as a stew depending on the region. There are actually some soup recipes known as “chili soup” and some stews which contain ingredients identical to chili but with portions added or subtracted to give a particular thickness and consistency to the meal. The important thing about chili is that it simply can’t be called such unless it contains chili powder, which gives this recipe its unique flavor. There are few lovers of soups and stews who don’t also indulge in chili, and there are literally hundreds of different ways to prepare this classic.

Next: Vegetable Stock Options

More Vegetable Recipes