What is the minimum hot-holding temperature for tomato basil soup at a salad bar?

• A. 125°F (52°C)
• B. 140°F (60°C)
• C. 135°F (57°C)
• D. 165°F (74°C)

Answer: (C)

Maintaining hot foods at a safe temperature is essential to prevent bacterial growth. For hot-holding tomato soup at a salad bar, the minimum temperature you must keep it at is 135°F (57°C). At or above this level, most harmful microbes can’t multiply, helping keep the soup safe for service. Temperatures like 125°F are too low and permit rapid bacterial growth; 140°F is safe but not the minimum, and 165°F is a reheating target used to bring foods up to a safe temperature quickly, not the ongoing holding temperature. If the soup ever falls below 135°F, reheat it to 165°F and then return it to hot holding at 135°F or higher. Use a calibrated thermometer to check the temperature in the warmest holding unit and at the point where the soup is thickest or coolest, since those areas determine the actual holding temperature.