These nouns denote either liquid food or food having a liquid base. Soup is the most general and most inclusive word. It is made by heating meat, vegetables or a combination of ingredients in water. Soup may be purely ,liquid ?whether thick, or thin and clear ?or it may consist of bits of solid food in liquid: tomato soup ; chicken soup ; vegetable soup . A potage is a soup of any kind, but on a menu it would indicate a thick soup .

Liquid that has had meat, fish or vegetables boiled in it is called stock or broth . Stock stresses that the liquid is a by-product or an ingredient, not a food in itself: to strain beef stock ; to skim off fat from chicken stock . Stock may be used as a base in making soups , sauces or gravies. Beef stock , for example, is often an ingredient in tinned vegetable soup ; vegetable prepared as a separate liquid food ?whether for use as a thin, strained soup or a fluid base ?it is called broth . Beef broth may be made by boiling marrow bones, beef shin, vegetables and seasoning together, then skimming and straining the stock : a soup of noodles and ground beef in beef broth ; a tin of boned chicken with broth . Stock used to make broth is sometimes, but not always, clarified.

Bouillon is a clear broth made by boiling and simmering lean beef, chicken or other means, then straining and clarifying the stock . Such stock may be dehydrated and sold in the form of bouillon cubes that are reconstituted by being dissolved in hot water. Consommé is a clear, strong, concentrated soup of meat or meat stock (and sometimes vegetables) boiled, strained and seasoned: beef consommé ; chicken consommé . Consommé is richer and more nutritious than bouillon or broth . It may be served hot, as a clear liquid; or, if it contains gelatin, it may be refrigerated, jellied and served cold.

Where stock , broth , bouillon and consommé are purely liquid, the remaining dishes consist of food cooked in liquid. Stew is a preparation of meat or fish and various vegetables simmered together gently in water or milk. Beef stew may contain small chunks of beef and diced vegetables in beef broth . Oyster stew may contain oysters, oyster broth , butter, cream and whole milk. Chowder is a thick soup often made with milk. It usually consists of clams, fish or corn stewed with potatoes and onions, often bacon, and sometimes other vegetables; clam chowder ; corn chowder ; fish chowder made with halibut fillets and fish broth. Porridge is a soft breakfast food made by boiling oatmeal or other meal in water or milk until it thickens.