Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth.

Some soups are served with large chunks of fish or vegetables left in the liquid, while a broth is a flavored liquid usually derived from simmering a food or vegetable for a period of time in a stock.

Bisques are heavy cream soups traditionally prepared with shellfish, but can be made with any type of seafood or puree of vegetables or fruits.

Although they may be consumed on their own, or with a meal, the canned, condensed form of cream soup is sometimes used as a quick sauce in a variety of meat and pasta convenience food dishes, such as casseroles.

Similar to a bisque, chowders are thick soups usually containing seafood and potatoes, milk and cream.