Sauce velouté is one of the cinq sauces mères or five ‘Mother Sauces’ of French cuisine. It’s made of white stock (usually chicken or veal) thickened with a white roux (butter and flour).
Soupe veloutée is smoother and richer than a potage that has gone through a blender. It’s usually made with a roux moistened with broth, then bound with an egg yolk and cream.
Image by Matt @ PEK from Taipei, Taiwan