What is the Difference Between Broth, Stock, and Consommé?

One of the most common cooking questions concerns the difference between a stock and a broth. Further confusion is added by the addition of consommé. It is often claimed that there is no difference between a stock and a broth, or that a stock is a fancy broth or vice versa. Most professional chefs would disagree. A broth is a clear soup made by simmering meat and vegetables (or just vegetables for a vegetable broth). This, at first glance, seems to be the same as a stock.

ladling consomme into a bowl of carrots and venison — Ladling consumme into a bowl of carrots, venison, and smoked eggs yolks.

⏱️ At a Glance: Broth vs. Stock vs. Consommé

Stock: Simmered primarily with bones. It is rich, gelatinous, and neutral—designed to be a base for other dishes. Not pleasant to eat on its own.
Broth: Simmered with meat and vegetables. It is seasoned and flavorful enough to be eaten as a simple soup on its own.
Consommé: A clarified and concentrated broth or stock. It is the “perfected” version—crystal clear with an intense depth of flavor.

Difference Between Broth and Stock

Indeed, the terms broth and stock are often used interchangeably, and it is not always clear there is a well-defined difference. However, the generally accepted wisdom is that for a stock, bones and vegetables are simmered, rather than meat (excepting, of course, a vegetable stock).

Bones are by far the most important ingredient in a stock, and using bones makes a stock richer and higher in gelatin than a broth. Although it is richer, it is not necessarily more flavorful.

Stop the Boil: Are you actually simmering or boiling? Learn the difference between boiling, simmering, and poaching to keep your broth from becoming cloudy.

Indeed, stocks have a more neutral savory taste than broth, making them more versatile for use as the base of many different sauces or soups. Most stocks would be reduced and reinforced in some way before use.

When a specific meat flavor is desired, such as chicken or beef, a broth is preferred.

According to Alan Davidson in the Oxford Companion to Food, one crucial difference between a stock and a broth is that a broth can be eaten as is! You would not find it pleasant to eat a plain stock. So, a broth is, in reality, a simple, unfinished soup. We simply don’t call it this. You can add ingredients to a broth to make a more complex soup.

A stock, on the other hand, is always an ingredient or base for some other dish. It would never be considered as complete on its own.

The Bouillon Secret: Don’t let the packaging fool you. Many “boxed” or “canned” broths found in the supermarket are simply reconstituted bouillon. They are made from the same industrial concentrates as the cubes and powders you find in the spice aisle, you’re essentially just paying extra for the water and the cardboard. You’ll get the exact same results using the cubes or powder and they will last and last!

Difference Between Consommé and Broth

A consommé begins with a broth or stock that is then concentrated and clarified. This makes a clear soup that not only has a wonderful, concentrated flavor, but it is also beautiful to look at.

Although many cooks hold that it is the clarification that makes a consommé, it is the concentration that is most important. So, in other words, the chief difference between a consommé and broth is that a consommé is cooked down.

The word consommé is a French word that means “perfect” or “to make perfect and complete.” It was first mentioned in late 18th-century cookbooks as a concentrated bouillon used in sauces or potages. Only later in the 19th century were consommés described as perfectly clear, fat-free broths. Escoffier listed over 140 consommés in Le Guide Culinaire.

Food Safety Tip: Once you’ve made a big pot of stock, make sure you’re reheating leftovers safely to avoid bacteria growth.

What is a Bouillon?

Bouillon is a French way of saying broth, and potage is a word for soups or “cooked in a pot.” Bouillon comes from the French verb bouillir (to boil). Historically, it was simply the liquid resulting from “the pot,” making it synonymous with broth.

While “bouillon” technically means broth, in modern English, the word has been almost entirely hijacked by the industrial concentrate industry (cubes, granules, and pastes). You make a “broth” from bouillon cubes. In case you missed the tip above, the canned or cartonned broths are NOT homemade. They are reconstituted from the same bouillon cubes or powders you can buy at the grocery store. Some makers will add an ingredient or two to make it seem like more is going on, but it’s not going to make a functional different in your cooking. Buy the concentrated bouillon cubes to make quick soups or stews with the exact same results. Otherwise, make your own broth or stock.

Making a Consommé

There are several methods used to make a perfectly clarified consommé, but one effective way is to simmer egg whites and broth along with ground meat, vegetables, and herbs. These are all mixed together to form a clarification raft that is then added to the broth or stock that the consomme is being made from.

The proteins from the egg whites and meat trap the smallest particles from the broth, and the resultant mixture can be strained through a wire mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth.

In the excellent video below, Jacob Burton demonstrates a chicken consommé. He starts with a very cloudy-looking chicken broth and adds pours it over a clarification raft made from chicken meat, egg whites, and a basic mirepoix. He then adds some seasoning and mixes. For further description, see the link above. You’d do well to ignore his explanations as to the differences between the preparations, though, as they will only confuse you and do nothing to improve your cooking.