How to Make a Basic Consommé

Co-authored by Josiah Salyer

Last Updated: October 17, 2024 References

VIDEO

Consommé is a type of clear soup that’s made by clarifying and straining a hearty and flavorful broth. Traditionally, consommé is clarified using egg whites, but there are also more modern ingredients you can use that don’t require the use of eggs. Making consommé isn't difficult, but it does require time, patience, and a watchful eye, because during the clarification process, you must simmer the soup for quite some time without allowing it to boil.

Ingredients

4 quarts (3.8 L) stock, chilled
2 pounds (907 g) raw meat, cubed
1 celery stick, roughly chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 leek, roughly chopped
1 bunch fresh herbs, chopped
8 egg whites
2 whole cloves
16 peppercorns

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Making the Stock

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1
Make stock from scratch. Making your own stock isn't hard to do, but it does require some time. Use the same type of stock as the consommé you want to make (for example, use beef broth to make beef consommé). No matter what kind of stock you want to make, including chicken, vegetable, beef, or duck stock, the process involves similar steps:
- Combining your ingredients, including meat, bones, vegetables, and seasonings in a large pot^{[1]
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- Covering the ingredients with water
- Boiling the ingredients and water together for several hours
- Straining the ingredients and reserving the stock, which is now infused with all the flavors from the meat, veggies, and aromatics
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Use premade stock as an alternative. Instead of making your own stock, you can also purchase premade stock from grocery stores and some farmers markets. Many people like premade stock because it’s faster and more convenient, but you can't control the flavors and ingredients as carefully. Premade stock comes in cans, tetra packs, and vacuum packs, and in a variety of types and flavors, including:
- Beef
- Chicken
- Vegetable
- Bone broth
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Make stock from bouillon. Another option is to purchase bouillon to make stock at home. Bouillon is a dehydrated and concentrated stock that comes in both cube and powder forms, and all you have to do is combine the bouillon with water.
- To make stock, combine 1 teaspoon (5 g) of powder or one bouillon cube per 1 to 2 cups (235 to 470 ml) of boiling water, according to the directions.
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Spice up any stock with herbs. You can customize the flavor of your homemade, premade, or bouillon stock by adding herbs, spices, and aromatics. To infuse your stock with more flavor, place it into a large stock pot, add your desired aromatics, put on the lid, and simmer the pot low heat for about an hour. Strain the stock after to remove the aromatics. Aromatics you can add include:^{[2]
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- Fresh or dried parsley, sage, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, basil, and thyme
- Peppercorns
- Onions, garlic, shallots, and leaks
- Peppers and carrots
- Ginger
- Mustard or coriander seeds
- Nutmeg, cinnamon, or allspice
- Horseradish

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Turning the Stock into Consommé

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1
Separate the eggs. Tap each egg gently against a corner to crack it. Break the egg in half and hold a shell half in each hand over a large mixing bowl. Gently transfer the yolk from one half to the other. As you transfer the yolk, the white will separate and drop into the bowl below. Continue transferring the yolk until all the white has been separated. Repeat with each egg.
- Transfer the yolks to a separate airtight container and reserve them to make pudding, custard, cake, ice cream, or other treats.
- You only use egg whites to clarify consommé, so you must separate the yolks from the whites first.
2
Mince the meat and vegetables. In a meat grinder, blender, or food processor, combine the meat, celery, carrot, onion, and leek. Pulse the ingredients together on high for about a minute, until all the ingredients are minced and combined. You want a rough mash rather than a puree.^{[3]
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- You can substitute in any kind of vegetables you like, except for starchy vegetables (like potatoes) that will make the stock cloudy.
- Blending the meat and vegetables together will make for a more flavorful stock, but it will also make the stock easier to clarify.
- Use the same kind of meat and stock to make the consommé. For instance, if you mince up chicken meat with the vegetables, use chicken stock to make the consommé.
3
Whisk the egg whites. Use a whisk or fork to rapidly beat the egg whites. Continue beating for about 30 seconds, or until the whites are frothy and thick. When you combine and heat all the ingredients, the protein in the egg whites will coagulate and glue together the chunks of meat and vegetables from the broth. This is known as the raft.
- In place of the egg whites, you can use a cellulose gum such as methylcellulose F50 to create the raft.^{[4]
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Combine all the ingredients. Transfer the minced meat and vegetables to the bowl with the whisked egg whites. Use a wooden spoon to combine the mixture. Transfer the mixture to a large stock pot and cover it with the cold stock. Add the cloves, peppercorns, and chopped fresh herbs as well, which can include any mixture of:^{[5]
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- Parsley
- Tarragon
- Thyme
- Bay leaves
Place the pot with all the ingredients on the stove and heat it over high heat. Stir the mixture constantly as it cooks, and heat it until it reaches 120 F (49 C). When the broth reaches this temperature, the raft will start to float to the top.^{[6]
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When the raft floats to the top of the broth, use the cup of a ladle to break a hole in the center of the raft. This will allow you to access the stock below so that the raft doesn’t dry out as it cooks.^{[7]
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Simmer the consommé. Keep the heat high until the consommé comes to a simmer. At that point, turn the heat to low and continue cooking the consommé for about 60 minutes.^{[8]
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- It’s important that the consommé never come to a rolling boil, otherwise the raft will break and the soup won’t clarify.
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Baste the raft as the consommé simmers. It’s important to baste the raft with the broth throughout the simmering process. This will keep the raft moist and prevent it from drying out. To baste the raft, dip your ladle into the hole you poked in the center of the raft. Fill the ladle with broth and drizzle it over the raft.^{[9]
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- Baste the raft every five minutes or so to keep it moist.
When the liquid is clear and all the egg, meat, and vegetable particles have floated to the top and joined the raft, remove the pot from the heat. Use the ladle to press down on the raft gently so it sinks to the bottom of the pot.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Filtering the Consommé

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Strain the consommé. Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth, muslin, or a clean dish towel. Place the strainer over a large mixing bowl. Pour the broth through the cheesecloth and strainer to remove any particles and impurities from the stock.
- Once the soup has been strained, you can discard the raft.^{[10]
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Transfer the strained stock to the refrigerator and let it chill overnight. As the soup chills, extra fat will float to the surface, making the consommé as clear as possible.
When you're ready to serve or reheat the consommé, remove it from the refrigerator. Use a ladle or spoon to skim off the fat that has risen to the surface of the stock.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Serving Consommé

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Serve it hot or cold. Consommé can be served chilled or hot.^{[11]
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Research source} To serve it hot, simply ladle individual portions into soup bowls as soon as the consommé is ready. Otherwise, allow the consommé to cool to room temperature, and then chill it in the refrigerator for one to two hours before serving.
- Chilled consommé is best served alone or simply garnished with fresh herbs.
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Ladle it over vegetables. You can serve hot consommé with vegetables to make the soup into a more filling meal or starter. Traditionally, consommé is served with raw or [Blanch-Vegetables|blanched vegetables]] that have been julienned, which means cut into small, thin sticks.^{[12]
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Research source} Vegetables you can serve with consommé include:
- Carrots
- Onions
- Peppers
- Broccoli
- Mushrooms
- Celery
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Pair it with dumplings or meat. Hot consommé can also be served with meat slices, meat balls, sausage, or dumplings to make it a heartier dish.^{[13]
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- Make sure meat and dumplings are cooked through before adding the soup, because they will not cook in the consommé.
4
Garnish it with additional herbs. Right before serving the consommé, you can spruce it up by adding chopped fresh herbs as a garnish. Add your vegetables, meat, dumplings, and other additions first, then ladle the soup into the bowl, and then sprinkle the herbs on top. Popular herbs to pair with consommé include:
- Parsley
- Chives
- Rosemary
- Saffron

Expert Q&A

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Question

What's the easiest way to make a consomme?

Josiah Salyer
Chef
Josiah Salyer is a Chef based in Austin, Texas. He offers over 20 years of diverse culinary expertise and currently works as a private chef for various clients. He has trained under three master chefs and two celebrity chefs, including Lorena Garcia from the television show Top Master Chef. He is an active member of the American Culinary Federation. His culinary knowledge spans a wide range of flavors and disciplines, and his work combines both technical levels of flavor and Southern home cooking classics. He aims to bring master-level cooking to his clients and train other chefs to embrace freedom in their cooking. He received his Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts and Chef Training at the International Culinary Center.

Josiah Salyer

Chef

Expert Answer

To make a consommé easily, start by cleaning and cooking tomatoes until they are tender. While cooking, add any desired herbs. Once the tomatoes are tender, place them inside a cheesecloth and secure the cheesecloth within a mesh. Position the tomato bundle over a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Allow it to sit for approximately 24 hours. During this time, a clear liquid, resembling water, will be extracted. This same process can be applied to create consommé with other ingredients, such as chicken. However, the easiest method, as I have found, is with tomatoes. This straightforward process yields a clear liquid that can be utilized in various culinary applications. For added versatility, you can even incorporate gelatin into the consommé.

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Question

How do I make a consomme for vegetarians, please?

Community Answer

Technically, you can't. A consomme is made from stock, which is made from bones. This is not to say you couldn't make a vegetable substitute, but it would be just that, a substitute - not the real deal. What you COULD do is make a rich vegetable broth and use unflavored gelatin to mimic the effect of the bones and connective tissue. Keep in mind that this would be vegetarian, but not vegan.

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Why would my consomme lack flavor?

Community Answer

Probably because you have not used enough bones and meat. It is recommended to use 6 lbs of bones (plus meat if you wish) per gallon of water.

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