Q. We get ready made soups. Can we do the same thing on Shabbos with the soup like we do with coffee and tea? Do we put the water in first and then put in the pre-cooked noodles?
A. Poiskim disagree if instant soups are allowed in Shabbos and if they are permitted how to prepare them.
Shabbos Kehalacha (p.148, 149) maintains that most instant soups have been already completely cooked and therefore may be prepared by pouring hot water from a keli sheini on the dry instant soup contents or placing them into a keli shlishi.
Even Happinah (O.H. 24) also permits in a Keli Shlishi, namely; pouring the hot water first into a clean dry cup and then pouring that water into a second clean dry cup.
Ohr Hashabbos (p. 154) writes that there are different processes used in preparing the pasta. Some deep fry in oil, which invokes a halachic disagreement if deep-frying is bishul or not. Other pastas are steam cooked, then dried, so they may not be fully cooked yet, and the prohibition of bishul still applies. The other flavoring powders may also not be fully cooked. The same applies to the dehydrated vegetables included. which may qualify as Kalei Habishul (see Star K, Kashrus Kurrents for a similar ruling: "Powdered soup mixes are often mixtures of dehydrated pre-cooked and non pre-cooked ingredients (e.g. vegetables) and should not be used on Shabbos"
Horav Shlomo Miller's Shlit"a opinion is that since some of the ingredients may meet the criteria of being Kalei Habishul, or easily cooked even on a keli shlishi (according to the Chazon Ish), one should either wait until the water of the keli shlishi has cooled to less than 45º C or ask a Gentile to pour the water from the keli shlishi into the contents. In case of great need he also permits in keli shlishi.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit"a
Important Numbers
