What's The Best Temperature For Serving Soup?
A comforting bowl of homemade soup can be soothing and satisfying, but if it's not hot enough, it's incredibly disappointing instead. To avoid a lackluster, lukewarm result, serving it at the right temperature is key. And while personal preference will often dictate exactly what temp is ideal, the Food Safety Training & Certification website suggests that hot clear soups (like chicken soup) should be served around 210 degrees Fahrenheit, while creamy or thick soups (such as minestrone or pasta e fagioli) are best between 190 and 200 degrees.
However, even though you'll want to cook soup to a temperature that's safe — 165 degrees Fahrenheit for a chicken variety, for example, since raw poultry should be heated to this temperature (per the USDA) — actually eating it when it's this hot could be risky. You can be burned in one second upon contact with water that's 155 degrees Fahrenheit. A study published in the Journal of Food Science in 2019 found that the best temperature for serving hot liquids, balancing both enjoyment and safety, is between 136 and 162 degrees Fahrenheit. Given the pain threshold of the tongue is around 152 to 153 degrees, you may not wish to serve soup significantly hotter.
On the other hand, if a soup is intended to be served cold, such as homemade vichyssoise or gazpacho, then temperature is also vital; again, nobody wants a lukewarm bowl. The recommended temperature is around 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below — or in other words, fridge-cold.
Warm or chill the serving bowl for more satisfying soup
It's not just the sensory enjoyment of soup that is affected by how hot it is; temperature also has an impact on how people perceive the flavor. A 2015 study published in the journal "Appetite" showed that untrained panelists found both chicken broth and miso soup tasted saltier when served at cooler temperatures between 104 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to 158 to 176 degrees Fahrenheit. So be careful with seasoning your soup depending on how hot you're serving it, as adding too much salt is one of the key mistakes to avoid when making a pot.
To enjoy hot soup at the optimal temperature and prevent it from cooling too quickly, it's a good idea to warm the bowls before serving. Just preheat your oven to the lowest setting, pop the bowls inside (making sure they're oven-safe!), turn the oven off, and let them sit in the heat for 10 minutes. Conversely, if it's intended to be served cold, then chill the bowls in advance so the soup maintains its refreshing appeal. Keep them in the fridge before serving, or for a brief spell in the freezer if you're in a hurry.
If you're not serving the soup immediately, make sure it's held at a temperature of above 140 degrees Fahrenheit or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, to avoid the "Danger Zone" (per the USDA). And if you're reheating leftovers, bring the soup to a rolling boil and ensure it's heated to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.