Blessing on vegetable soup

Dear Rabbi, Can you please help me clarify what blessing do I say on vegetable soup, is it Shehakol or Hadomo. And sometimes I add noodles to the soup.

Thank you for your question, I understand that the Halachot of Berochos can be complicated, so I have therefore arranged it in a way you can use it for future reference.

With regards to the bracha on vegetable soup, we have to break it down into different categories;

1. In a case where the soup is mainly liquid, and has pieces of vegetables in it, then one says ho’adomo on the vegetables, and this will exempt you from saying a further shehakol on the soup, it is commendable when saying the bracha on the vegetable, to also have some soup on your spoon together with it. (a)
This halacha, is as long as one’s intention is to eat the vegetables as part of the soup.

However, if the soup was intended to be a clear soup, and it just happens to be, that there are some uncut pieces of vegetable in the soup, then one recites Shehkol on the soup and this exempts the vegetable as well. It is commendable when you recite the blessing of Shehakol to intend to exempt the vegetables as well.(b)

2.         A clear vegetable soup, since the taste of the vegetables doesn’t give enough flavor and other flavorings are added – the bracha is shehakol (c). However if the soup was made with a lot of vegetables and they give a strong flavor, then it depends; Bnei Ashkenaz recite Hadomo, Bnei Sefared, Shehakol.(d)

3.       If the vegetables themselves were blended into a liquid, like pea soup or vegetable soup, then the bracha is shehakol (e).
There is one exemption, and that is onion soup, we always recite Hadomo. Even if there is no onions in the soup it nevertheless gives a strong flavor, and it is intended to be eaten cooked therefore it is one's intention to eat it like this. (f)

When you add noodles to your soup;

1.       If there is a negligible amount of noodles and it is not your intention to have noodles in your soup, then the bracha is shehkol,(g).
however, if you intended to have as well the noodles even if there are just a few, then you have to recite two Brachot Shehakol on the soup, and then Me’zonot on the noodles. One should make sure that the order is first the Shehakol then the Mezonot,(h)

2.       If one's intention is to eat the soup, and the noodles are a part of the soup not just a few pieces then the bracha is Mezonot, and the bracha exempts the shehakol on the soup, even if towards the end of your plate there are no more noodles left. (h)

Have an additional question on this topic or need clarification? Leave your comment below. (Please note that the comment will not be published but will be sent directly to the answering Rabbi for review and a private response)