Classic dishes that never fail to impress

Chicken soup isn’t just a favourite in Europe. It has a world-wide fan following. No other soup is eaten in as many different cultures as this one. It is also a traditional remedy for colds, which is why it is also known as ‘Jewish penicillin’. Spoonful for spoonful, chicken soup makes people all over the world healthy and happy. And you can make it even healthier by seasoning it with Kikkoman naturally brewed soy sauce.

Very few people today make the effort to prepare a home-made beef broth. Why bother when you can find it on supermarket shelves? Ready-to-use stock cubes and soup bases are today used as the basis for most soups. That’s a real shame because it’s actually incredibly easy to prepare a beef broth with meat, bones, soup vegetables and a few seasonings.

The most famous of all Hungarian dishes was invented in an army kitchen to feed soldiers because it’s a hearty stew that can be prepared with relatively tough meat and it’s also very easy to make. In Germany, you still see goulash in large tureens on wheels like mobile field kitchen’s called ‘Gulaschkanonen’. If you use Kikkoman teriyaki marinade as a seasoning, you can create a delicious version of this classic Hungarian dish.

This is a typically Italian soup, which is probably why it is so colourful and cheerful. It contains all kinds of different vegetables and it is usually served in autumn. Even today the Italians still argue about who actually invented the soup. One thing’s certain though: you can tell by the ingredients which part of Italy you are in. In northern Italy, minestrone soup tends to contain earth-grown vegetables, in Genoa it contains mushrooms, in Milan it contains rice and in Abruzzo, overlooking the Adriatic Sea, they add bacon pieces or other bits of meat to it.

Traditional German linseed soup - sometimes prepared as a hearty stew with sausages - also exists in a more exotic version in many Oriental countries. They prepare this sweet-sour soup from red linseed with lots of spices.

Gazpacho is a Spanish vegetable soup that is native to Andalusia and served cold, which is perfect for the Mediterranean climate. It has a long tradition in Spain and can be traced back to medieval times. The original soup was a kind of bread soup made of stale bread softened in garlic, vinegar and oil. Today, gazpacho is generally made from tomatoes and bell peppers. The recipe for gazpacho differs considerably from region to region.

People of all ages love tomato soup. It’s also very easy to prepare. All you need are a few ripe tomatoes from the market (although you can also use tinned tomatoes), plus diced onions, garlic and olive oil. It’s a soup that is very quick to make and bursting with vitamins. Tomato soup can easily be combined with other Mediterranean ingredients and it’s very versatile. Add a few drops of naturally brewed soy sauce for the perfect seasoning and a Spanish variation on the healthy red soup: Spanish Tomato & Bell Pepper Soup

A genuine bouillabaisse is prepared with at least four different varieties of fish. In the olden days, French fisherman used to prepare the soup with fish that they couldn’t sell - as a simple homemade dish. Today, the recipe has been refined and the soup is often made with thickened fish stock and sometimes it contains shellfish. When bouillabaisse is served, the different components are separated. The fish, which is filleted at the table, is placed on one side while the bouillon is kept warm on a separate hotplate. This makes it possible for every guest to combine the fish and bouillon according to his or her own personal preferences. Bouillabaisse is often served with aioli sauce or croutons which have been rubbed with garlic.

Miso soup is often eaten for breakfast in Japan. This light soup warms the body and provides fortification for the day ahead. A miso soup mainly consists of tofu, wakame algae and spring onions. It is flavoured with a fish stock and miso, a paste made from soy beans. Miso soup is now also becoming increasingly popular in Europe.