A Hot Bowl is the Perfect Cure for Winter’s Frosty Bite
By Nancy Luse | Photography by Turner Photography Studio | Posted on 01.08.14
Soup is considerably more than what’s ladled into a bowl—just as bread is deemed the staff of life, so too, is soup a source of nourishment and a sustainer of the soul. Soup once even taught an unfriendly town a subtle lesson about generosity and cooperation in the folk story, Stone Soup.
According to the tale, hungry soldiers arrived in the town, met by residents suspicious that they were seeking handouts. Instead, the soldiers took an empty pot, filled it with water and a stone, and placed it on a fire. As the water boiled, the now-curious townspeople gathered. The soldiers tasted and lamented that if only they had an onion, the soup would be even better. Someone obliged. The soldiers continued stirring, tasting and suggesting other ingredients to improve it. Soon people were donating meat, potatoes and other vegetables from their homes. When the soldiers shared soup all around, folks were amazed this delicious concoction had come from a stone.
Even further back, in Old Testament times, soup was front and center in the feud between twin brothers Esau and Jacob. When Esau came in hungry from the fields, he surrendered his birthright to Jacob in exchange for a bowl of stew—a dish commonly referred to as “Esau’s Pottage” containing lentils and some type of meat, usually lamb.
Soup is a reminder of our childhoods—it’s almost impossible to have grilled cheese without a bowl of tomato soup, a common pairing that likely started in school cafeterias. Soup is the last stage for a leftover Thanksgiving turkey and the first thing most of us settle on when we want a quick meal, even if it’s straight out of a can. In the immortal words of those chubby-cheeked kids from Campbell’s Soup, it’s “Mmmm good!”
“Its comfort food,” says Kevin Storm, general manager at Madrones restaurant in the Clemson Corner shopping center off Md. 26. “It makes us feel all warm and fuzzy, especially in the winter.” A man who enjoys making soup in his own kitchen, Storm says the secret is “soup benefits from slow cooking—four or five hours isn’t out of the question—and the right ingredients added at the right time.” The restaurant’s popular chicken tortilla soup, for instance, starts with whole chickens simmered to make a rich stock. “You can use chicken base out of a can,” he says, and you practically see him shudder on the other end of the phone, “but that’s not how we do it.”
Storm, a restaurant veteran who “started as a busboy at 15 and was promoted to the dish room at 16,” says soup is an important part of the menu. Madrones offers lobster bisque, Maryland crab and a seasonal soup on the daily menu and also a “soup calendar.” If it’s Monday, it’s black bean and ham. Wednesday and Friday? You can order the chicken-and-sausage gumbo. He says there are even customers who plan when to come in based on the soup of the day.
Soup Recipe
Madrones: Leek & Potato Soup
Ingredients:
2 cups leeks, roughly chopped
1 medium yellow onion
3 tablespoons butter
7 cups chicken broth
1 pound red bliss potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 cup light sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Cheddar cheese
Green onions
Cooked bacon
In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté leeks and onions until very soft, at least 10 minutes. Add the chicken broth and potatoes and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add sour cream and puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth (or in a regular blender in smaller batches, but be careful with hot soup). Top with cheddar cheese, green onions and bacon, if you wish. Serves 4 to 6.
Did you know Madrones has great soup specials 7 days a week? We are so happy to be featured in the Frederick Magazine during the month of January. Stop in and give one of our soups a try!
Source: http://www.fredmag.com/soups-on/#sthash.k40FDt2P.dpbs
