Can cereal be considered soup? Immediately, no.
After a long and tedious search through the definitions of soup and cereal, one might be left with a few mind-blowing facts. The Reading Rainbow filter is another TikTok trend that makes absurdities great material.
It’s not as simple as it sounds, but determining whether cereal is a soup or not isn’t as easy as it seems. Comparable to the debates about whether or not a Hotdog is a sandwichOr is a Cupcakes in a muffinThe cereal versus soup debate is a bit more complicated.
To be Soup or Not to Be Soup? That’s the Question
The definition of soup is the source of confusion. As per the Oxford dictionary, soup is a liquid food made by boiling meat, vegetables, etc. In water, usually eaten first course in a meal.
However, any soup enthusiast wouldn’t hesitate to point out that Oxford’s definition of soup alienated a particular category. Yes, we’re talking about gazpacho and other chilled soups. And before the naysayers start uttering that cold soup isn’t soup, they should know that many queens of comfort cooking, such as Ina Garten and Martha Stewart, have some chilled soup mentionables of their own. And, if they don’t know what a soup is, then who does?!
The theory is that cold milk should not be used to make soup out of cereal. Some might argue that some cereals like oatmeal or grape nuts can be served hot. However, team cereal would be a chilled soup if it were to be used as a soup.
Many people believe that cooking soup or preparing the ingredients requires some preparation. However, cereal=soup supporters point out that cereal also requires cooking, and it is only done in factories. It is hard to tell the difference between soup bought in cans and homemade cheerios.
Those in the not-soup camp frequently argue that soups aren’t soups without stock or broth. It is interesting to note that there are plenty fruit-based soups as well as gazpacho variants that do not have broth or stock, but are enough soupy to warrant the name.
Cereal is cereal at the end. Milk isn’t necessary to enjoy it. Cereal can be just cereal. Soup can’t be just soup. This means that cereal can be a soup. Technically, no. Can cereal be a soup, technically? You can make cereal any way you want.