By Layla Khoury-Hanold for Food Network Kitchen

Layla Khoury-Hanold is a contributor at Food Network.

Since soups and stews look similar and many contain the same foundational ingredients, it can be hard to tell which is which. So, what exactly is the difference? Here’s everything you need to know about soups and stews, plus some of our best soup and stew recipes.

What Is Soup?

Soup is a brothy dish made by cooking meat, seafood, vegetables or legumes in liquid such as stock, water or milk. Common types include broth-based soups, like chicken noodle or beef barley; cream soups, such as cream of broccoli or mushroom; and purees like carrot or butternut squash. Other kinds of soup include bisques and cold soups such as gazpacho.

What Is a Stew?

A stew is a dish containing meat, seafood or vegetables cooked in liquid, such as stock, broth or water, until the liquid has reduced to thick consistency. Sometimes, stew liquid is thickened using cornstarch or a flour-based roux.

Stew vs Chowder

Chowders almost always contain potatoes and milk, and often but not always feature fish or shellfish as their animal protein. Like stew, chowders have a hearty consistency and contain larger-cut chunks of ingredients, but they are actually considered a thick soup.

Is Chili a Soup?

Whether chili is considered a soup or a stew depends on how it is prepared. If chili is prepared by braising meat, such as brisket or beef chuck, with beans and vegetables added toward the end of cooking time, it’s considered a stew. If chili is made by browning ground meat, and then adding liquid, beans and vegetables, then it is a soup.

Soup vs Stew

Soups and stews are dishes that contain protein, seafood or vegetables cooked in liquid, but soups typically have more liquid and are cooked differently and for longer than stews.

Amount of liquid: Soup typically contains more liquid than stew, as it has a higher ratio of liquid to other ingredients, such as meat, vegetables or legumes. Stew usually has just enough liquid to cover the ingredients and has less liquid than soup.

Technique: Soup is made by simmering ingredients in liquid uncovered. Stew ingredients are barely covered with liquid, then simmer in a covered pot until the ingredients are tender and the liquid has reduced and thickened, a technique also known as braising.

Cooking time: Generally, soups simmer for a short time, but their cook time varies widely, from 20 minutes to a couple hours. Stews cook low and slow over a long period of time.

Soup and Stew Recipes

Beef Stew

To create depth of flavor, cubes of beef chuck and onions get browned first, before being just submerged in stock and cooked low-and-slow in the oven till tender.

Curried Chicken and Rice Soup

This hearty rendition of chicken soup pulls in Madras curry powder to give the broth a vibrant yellow hue and flavor. A flurry of fresh chopped mint and dill plus a squeeze of lemon really brightens it up.

Tomato Bisque

This pureed soup gets its velvety consistency by being blended till smooth and whisked with cream to finish. The crispy bacon garnish adds a savory hit, but you could omit it if you want to keep this soup vegetarian.

Chicken and Tomato Pozole

This nourishing Mexican soup is traditionally prepared with hominy and meat. This version pulls in chicken and peeled tomatoes, plus chili powder and ancho chiles for a one-two punch of mild heat and vibrant red color.

African Peanut Stew with Chicken Meatballs

In this play on traditional African peanut stew, chicken meatballs stand in for chicken pieces. The sweet potatoes spend the most time simmering in the flavorful broth that's augmented with tomato paste and peanut butter.

French Onion Soup

This classic bistro dish might look fancy, but with a little time and patience, it’s easy to make. Since there so few ingredients, it’s vital to start with a good-quality beef broth, either homemade or store-bought.

Related Links:

84 Warming Soups and Stews You'll Want to Cozy Up To

33 Healthy Soup Recipes That Are Cozy and Comforting

Vegetarian Soup Recipes