A few weekends ago, I sipped, slurped, and savoured my way through dozens of delicious soups made by local chefs at Toronto’s first annual Soupalicious. As a celebration of the harvest, thirty-five of Toronto’s top chefs utilized freshly sourced and local ingredients to create an array of tantalizing, fragrant, and delicious soups. I will definitely be going back next year, and if you are in Toronto I strongly urge you to make an appearance. Your taste buddies will not be disappointed!
Since Soupalicious and in part because of dropping temperature, resulting in my hibernation at home, I’ve been batch cooking and freezing various stews and soups in preparation for the gloomy winter ahead, when fresh produce is not as readily available. I am grudgingly anticipating the bitterly frigid winter days and nights, but at least I know happiness will come in the form of a warm bowl of soup.
Soup is always a comfort, a luxury, a warm hug, and a reminder of home.
Soup has been around a long long time, with some of the first types of soup dating back to 6,000BC. Our ancestors, realizing that boiling water can contact and submerge food fully (versus other methods of cooking), understood that boiling allowed food to cook quicker, extract additional flavours, utilize nutrients, and enabled a mash up of foods to produce new exciting tastes. Not surprisingly, many cultures turned to soup and incorporated it as main component of their meals and every region has a traditional soup, whether it be Russian Borsht, French Bisque, England’s Clam Chowder, Japanese Miso, or Italian Minestrone.
Soup can be anything, from a simple, affordable, and filling meal to a more luxurious first course. Soup is a satisfying option for everyone as it is easily digested and can be incredibly nutritious. The famous Stone Soup Story shows us how the simple dish can bring entire communities together. Even our modern word for a place where meals are served and enjoyed, restaurant, originates partially due to soup. A “restaurer”, was a 16th century French street vendors who sold inexpensive soup which was said to combat physical exhaustion. In 1765, a shop with many restaurers was opened and eventually, our modern word for restaurant was born, all thanks to soup! Next time you visit a restaurant, why not order a soup to start?
If you are in the Toronto area and are on the hunt for soup, visit Le Papillon on the Park located at 1001 Eastern Ave for some to-die-for Soupe a l’Oignon Gratinee topped with an abundance of Swiss Cheese (my guilty pleasure). Le Papillon on the Park’s signature French Onion Soup also comes in two mouth-watering sizes: La Petite ($7.50 CAD), perfect as starter and La Grande Soupe ($12.50 CAD) which is also served with a house salad. Crush Wine Bar’s Soupalicious contribution, a Cauliflower Puree with Crispy Pancetta & Brown Butter Cauliflower Florets, was a bowl of heaven on earth – the matrimony of bacon and cauliflower was rich and smooth and the cauliflower soaked up just the right amount of flavor. Crush Wine Bar, a French bistro style restaurant which has been recently revamped to serve comfort English fare, serves a varying Soup of the Day ($9 CAD), so pay them a visit at 455 King St. West for a taste of what’s on their daily soup menu. More, IMHO you can never go wrong with a steaming bowl of melt in your mouth Kam Ja Tang/Pork Bone Soup ($6.95 CAD) at any of Ka-Chi’s downtown locations, or Soon Tofu Korean Restaurant’s still bubbling (literally) soft and delectably spicy Soon Tofu soup (approx $7.95 CAD, 5445 Yonge St. or 691 Bloor Street West). A bowl of Kam Ja Tang or Soon Tofu soup will leave you with warm fuzzys, a full belly, and an added bonus of being easy on the wallet.
So, for all you Food Trotters trotting around the globe, if you ever miss home, I promise, a piping hot bowl of soup will bring you a little piece of home, even if just for a moment.
[Photos courtesy of: Southern Living, Becky Luigart-Stayner, Emma Christensen, and ilmungo]
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Thanks, and for anyone that is having difficulty chopping onions without the crying, here’s an incredibly easy tip – put them in the fridge first, then chop them straight away after taking them out! No more tears! I found some more onion soup recipes here if anyone wants to try some more variations.