Hilchos B'rachos part XVI

Soups and fruit juices – Part II

Last week we presented the opinions of several Rishonim and hopefully we will now see halacha lema’ase. The following is an attempt to acquaint you with the halacha, but seeing that this particular subject is complicated, please view it as merely a guide to know what to research or ask of a halachic authority.

Years ago I asked the opinion of a leading halachic authority as to the correct conduct with regards to reciting berachos on soup and the answer he gave was astounding – he always made berachos on side dishes, such as mezonos on a piece of cake, (to cover grains in soup), ha’adamah (to cover veggies in the soup) and shehakol (on something else) to cover the soup.

This is a safe method but not always practical, and as such, we will present the halachic opinions as to the correct berachos.

            The following is adapted from ñôø "ùòøé äáøëä" ôø÷ éæ ñòéó ìè and "åæàú äáøëä" ôø÷ éá . Another beautiful source that deals with this issue is the Shulchan Aruch HaRav siman 202:12.

            To be able to recite a áåøà ôøé äàãîä on soup broth, the following conditions must be met.

1.      The vegetable is usually consumed cooked, not raw. [1]

2.      The vegetables were cooked with the intention of eating the vegetables and the soup. [2] If the liquid is used to cook the vegetables without the intention of drinking the liquid (similar to water used to cook kneidelach), or the vegetables were not intended to be consumed and are merely for flavor. [3]

3.      The vegetables remain identifiable even after cooking. [4]

4.      If meat or chicken is cooked together with vegetables, the meat is more important and the b’racha recited over the broth is shehakol. [5] (Depending on the quantity, one might recite ha’adamah on the vegetables).

5.      Seasoning other than vegetables flavor the broth, the b’racha is shehakol. [6]

Based on the above –

            A soup broth whose vegetables lend a strong flavor to the broth and the vegetables are usually eaten with the soup or separately, one recites ha’adamah on the broth, even if the vegetables were removed from the broth.

It is important to note that Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach ztz”l is quoted as saying vegetables nowadays are not strong enough to season a soup, [7] but it would probably depend on the freshness and quantity of the vegetable/s.

            Pea soup – where the peas have liquefied, one will recite shehakol, because the 3^rd condition is missing, even if a few peas are still whole.

            Vegetable soup – seasoned vegetables and no soup mix – ha’adamah. [8]

            Vegetable soup with meat – shehakol. (Depending on the quantity of the vegetables, one might recite ha’adamah on the vegetables).

            Vegetable soup with pieces of meat and vegetables (with a good amount of vegetables) – when eating the vegetables recite ha’adamah and this will include the soup broth. If a good portion of meat, recite also shehakol on the meat. [9]

            Onion soup – if the onion is intended to flavor but not to be eaten – shehakol.

-        if the onions are eaten with the soup and there is a strong onion taste - ha’adamah (even when eating only the broth).

Tomato soup – shehakol, because the tomatoes are usually liquefied. [10]

Tomato soup with rice – if the rice is the majority, recite only mezonos. If the rice is the minority, it is tafel to the soup and recite only shehakol. [11]

Mushroom soup – shehakol, because the b’racha on mushrooms is shehakol.

Bean soup – it appears that beans do not flavor a soup enough and the b’racha is shehakol. If the soup contains a large amount of beans and one eats them with the soup, they are considered the major part of the soup and one recites ha’adamah, and the soup is included.

Potato soup – the potatoes are not seasoned enough to season the soup one recites shehakol. If there is a good amount of potatoes in the soup and one eats them with the broth, one only recites ha’adamah.

Corn soup – corn adds a strong flavor to the broth and if the five conditions are met, one recites ha’adamah. If flavoring was added to the broth, such as soup mix, one recites shehakol on the broth, but if a large quantity of corn is eaten with the broth, one only recites ha’adamah and it includes the broth.

Soup with lokshen – if the lokshen were cooked in the soup, and one has only the soup without the lokshen, it is a safek whether one recites mezonos or shehakol.

If there is a large amount of lokshen and they make up the main part of the soup, one only recites mezonos.

If there is a small amount of lokshen, one recites two b’rachos, shehakol on the soup and mezonos on the lokshen. [12]

If there are only a few pieces of lokshen floating in the soup, one only recites shehakol.