It can probably be assumed if not completely verified, that the concept of a soup has been with our ancestors since the advent of fire. With that in mind, you would also be correct to assume that the history of soup is inextricably linked to the origin of and history of cooking in general. Most likely cooking started out as fire roasting game and the use of water to soften grains. Cooking the harder grains of the ancient times would have created an interesting and thick mixture that was much easier on the teeth than other methods.
Why the name soup?
The origin of our modern day 'soup' was can be traced to the French words "sop" and/or "soupe", which loosely translates in reference to something that is soaked. That would pretty much sum up our modern day interpretation of the loose, broth mixtures that most of us would recognize as soup. Prior to the entry of soup into our vocabulary, it was often referred to as broth or porridge. As much as we would like to categorize things in nice little boxes, chefs of our era are intent on de-constructing, re-inventing, and spinning the concept of just about every type of food (including soups) into something that is not recognizable or does not meet our generalizations. Modern day soup can be many things that defy a general definition.
A soup in laymen terms is an over-reaching term for the many different varieties of foods defined by both cultural and geographical differences. Gruel (isn't that appetizing), stews, porridges, chowders, borscht, gumbo, etc. are all names for specific regional foods that can be attributed to the soup categorization. There are so many areas to explore when it comes to the production and sampling of soups that I suspect this blog will grow beyond control as it is developed fully.
The sop term used by the French was particularly relevant for their type of soup. It consisted mainly of a clear broth with a piece of bread used to eat it. The bread was the primary method by which the soup was transferred to the mouth of the diner. Over time the use of spoons became more prevalent, as well as the addition of other food items to the sop, so that the thickness and consistency of the product was not consistent with the use of bread as the primary means for eating.
The classical 19th century kitchen saw the inclusion of many nutritious elements their soup base and probably lends itself best to our current day interpretation. They would include a myriad of vegetables, a variety of poultry, fish, game, and meats, and the liquid content.
The 'invention' of soup also contributed greatly to increasing the life span of individuals in the early periods of humanity. The lack of dental care and the use of grains in the diets of our ancestors contributed to the quick erosion of the teeth of these individuals. Once a form of sustenance could be created that did not require chewing or ripping meat from a bone, there was now the capability of providing for the less fortunate members of a tribe that had taken sick. This attribute of soups contributed to the old world creation of Restoratifs which is the word our modern day restaurant owes its origin to.
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