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Donate7. Chicken or meat soup:[1]
All the previous cases of soups referred to soups that had fruits or vegetables, grains or legumes, cooked in them without meat or chicken. This scenario will discuss the proper blessing that is to be recited on the broth of the soup if it contains meat or chicken in addition to the other solids.
The blessing: The blessing on the broth of chicken soup or meat stew is Shehakol.
Chicken or meat soup with fruits or vegetables: If one cooked [chicken[2] or] meat soup with vegetables, then if one consumes the broth of the soup alone [without the meat or vegetables], then the appropriate blessing to recite is Shehakol.[3] [However, if one is eating the soup together with the meat and vegetables, then some Poskim[4] rule that he is to recite a Ha’adama on the vegetables if they are individually large and a Shehakol on the chicken or meat. If the chicken or meat and vegetables are all in small pieces and not individually recognizable on their own, then the blessing follows the majority ingredient, whether it be the vegetables or the meat or the broth.[5] If he is eating just the vegetables and the broth without the meat or chicken, then he is to recite a blessing of Ha’adama on the vegetables and no blessing is said on the broth as it is secondary to it. This however only applies by large pieces of vegetables, however, if the vegetables are cut small and the main intent of the soup is on the liquid, then only Shehakol is recited on the liquid.]
Chicken or meat soup with Mezonos product:[6] If one cooked chicken soup or meat stew with a Mezonos product, such as noodles, then when eating the broth alone, the blessing over the broth is Mezonos being that a Mezonos product is considered the primary ingredient over the meat.[7] [When eating also vegetables and meat, then one is to say an additional blessing of Shehakol on the meat, and a Ha’adama on the vegetables if they are also a primary ingredient and are large recognizable pieces.[8] These blessings should be recited prior to Mezonos, as explained in Chapter 17 Halacha 2A and B.]
| SummaryWhen eating the broth of chicken or meat soup, the blessing recited is Shehakol, even if vegetables are present, unless the vegetables are large and individually recognizable, in which case Ha’adama is said on them. If the soup contains a Mezonos product like noodles and you eat the broth alone, the blessing is Mezonos; if eating all together, recite the blessings for each primary ingredient. |
| Soup Type | Ingredients | How Eaten | Blessing | Notes |
| Chicken or meat soup | Chicken or meat, other solids | Broth alone | Shehakol | |
| Chicken or meat soup with vegetables | Chicken or meat, vegetables | Broth alone | Shehakol | |
| Chicken or meat soup with vegetables | Chicken or meat, vegetables | Soup with meat and vegetables (large pieces) | Ha’adama on vegetables, Shehakol on chicken or meat | Some Poskim rule this way |
| Chicken or meat soup with vegetables | Chicken or meat, vegetables | Soup with meat and vegetables (small pieces, not recognizable) | Blessing follows majority ingredient | Majority: vegetables, meat, or broth |
| Chicken or meat soup with vegetables | Chicken or meat, vegetables | Vegetables and broth (no meat or chicken) | Ha’adama on vegetables, no blessing on broth | Only for large pieces of vegetables |
| Chicken or meat soup with vegetables | Chicken or meat, vegetables | Vegetables (small pieces), intent on liquid | Shehakol | Only Shehakol on liquid |
| Chicken or meat soup with Mezonos product | Chicken or meat, Mezonos product (e.g. noodles) | Broth alone | Mezonos | Mezonos is primary |
| Chicken or meat soup with Mezonos product | Chicken or meat, Mezonos product, vegetables | With vegetables and meat (large pieces) | Mezonos, Shehakol on meat, Ha’adama on vegetables | Blessings recited prior to Mezonos |
[1] Seder 7:20; Luach 10:20; Admur 202:14; M”A 205:7; Michaber 205:2; Rosh; M”B 205:7; Ketzos Hashulchan 53:12; Piskeiy Teshuvos 202:25 condition 3 [applies this to all Shehakol foods and not just meat, see there in footnotes] and 205:7
[2] Piskeiy Teshuvos ibid
[3] The liquid of the soup is always Shehakol, even if there were vegetables inside, and certainly if there were fruits inside, of which even without meat we say Shehakol due to dispute, and in this case one is to say Shehakol according to all opinions.
The reason: As whenever there is meat or chicken in a soup the main taste of the soup follows the meat which is of greater significance and is Shehakol, and not the vegetables which is of lesser significance and is Ha’adama. [Seder 7:20; Luach 10:20; Admur in 202:14; M”A 205:7; M”B 205:7]
[4] See M”B 205:7; Piskeiy Teshuvos ibid; See Aruch Hashulchan 212:2; Kaf Hachaim 205:12; Piskeiy Teshuvos 205:9; See Seder 7:10; Admur 212:5
Other opinions – Opinion of Admur: In one area Admur rules that one is never to say more than one blessing on a cooked food, as when one says the blessing of the Ikar then it exempts all the other Tafel foods, even if they are large and recognizable in size. [See Seder 7:10 regarding fruits or legumes cooked in honey that if honey is Ikar, or majority, then one only says a blessing on the honey and exempts with it the fruit even if it is “Beiyn”; See Admur 212:5 that the cooked food is viewed as a single dish of a single blessing even if he eats some of the Tafel afterwards without the Ikar] However, in Seder 6:10 in parentheses Admur rules that if one cooked meat with honey and fruits, and the fruits are the Ikar, then one says a blessing on both the fruits and the meat, if the meat is Beiyn, as it is not Tafel. This implies that Beiyn pieces deserve their own blessing even if there is an Ikar present. Vetzaruch Iyun! See Footnote 62 in Seder 6 of Rav Alyashvili for two different answers to this contradiction [1) That he intended to eat the meat alone without the fruits. 2) Meat is an exception being it is Chashuv and remains Beiyn, so its never Tafel to Ikar, so one should say Haeitz on the fruits and Haeitz on the meat.]
[5] See Seder 7:10; Rav Alyashvili footnote 156
[6] Seder 7:20; Luach 10:20; Admur 202:14 in parentheses; Ashel Avraham Butchach 202; Piskeiy Teshuvos 202:25 footnote 156; Piskeiy Teshuvos 205:9
[7] The reason: As Mezonos products are always considered the main food and of greater significance than all of the foods. [Seder ibid; See Seder 3:2]
[8] Aruch Hashulchan 212:2; Kaf Hachaim 205:12; Piskeiy Teshuvos 205:9; See Seder 7:10; Admur 212:5
Other opinions – Opinion of Admur: In one area Admur rules that one is never to say more than one blessing on a cooked food, as when one says the blessing of the Ikar then it exempts all the other Tafel foods, even if they are large and recognizable in size. [See Seder 7:10 regarding fruits or legumes cooked in honey that if honey is Ikar, or majority, then one only says a blessing on the honey and exempts with it the fruit even if it is “Beiyn”; See Admur 212:5 that the cooked food is viewed as a single dish of a single blessing even if he eats some of the Tafel afterwards without the Ikar] However, in Seder 6:10 in parentheses Admur rules that if one cooked meat with honey and fruits, and the fruits are the Ikar, then one says a blessing on both the fruits and the meat, if the meat is Beiyn, as it is not Tafel. This implies that Beiyn pieces deserve their own blessing even if there is an Ikar present. Vetzaruch Iyun! See Footnote 62 in Seder 6 of Rav Alyashvili for two different answers to this contradiction [1) That he intended to eat the meat alone without the fruits. 2) Meat is an exception being it is Chashuv and remains Beiyn, so its never Tafel to Ikar, so one should say Haeitz on the fruits and Haeitz on the meat.]
