Many historians believe that the practice of boiling water for soups go back to pre-historic times. While the pre-historic men of this time didn’t boil water as a normal practice, they would heat the stones for the meals and then place the hot stones in water to heat it.
Waterproof containers meant for cooking enabled the practice of boiling. These waterproof pouches typically were made out of clay or animal skin. Clay especially was a common material used for cooking and for dishes. Clay was common to find, and it was easy to mold for multiple purposes.
Women in the homes would place water inside of their pots, and then they would place the pots over water. This of course is the process of boiling. Some people boiled water and heated other things over a hearth in the home. Others would continue to take their pots and cooking utensils outside to cook.
Soups are made out of broths or other liquids. The word soup has its origins in French and Latin cultures. The French word for soup is “soupe”. The Latin word for soup is “suppa”. In Latin, this means “bread soaked in broth”. This is close to what is now known as the Italian soup Minestrone, which is a very popular Italian soup.
There are many forms of vegetable soup. Some have a thick consistency, while others are very liquid. The ingredients are going to depend on what people have on hand to make the soup with. This of course can vary based upon the season of the year.
Some soups have things to thicken them, such as oats or rice. Some people like to sprinkle cheese in their soups. Some people like meat, but those who couldn’t afford meat had to do without meat in their soups.
It’s interesting to note that in previous times, people ate a lot of meat, but they wouldn’t touch root vegetables, because those foods were considered peasant foods. People didn’t understand that root vegetables are full of nutrients. They were more concerned with the status of the food than the nutrition of the food.
Again, since the root vegetables were from the earth, the nobles considered this food unfit for their palates. On the other hand, eating meat was an expense certain people couldn’t afford, so people learned to make due with vegetables, cheese, and bread.
Another interesting fact, is that in historic times, vegetables were known as herbs. This was because these vegetables were known for having a green color. In these times, the soups were based around one vegetable, and they were called pottage soup. They were based upon vegetables such as leeks, potatoes and cabbages.
