In the late 1990s in New York City, a shop called the Daily Soup opened. And it was a smash. It expanded across the city and was booming and then the Dot Com boom ended the soup bubble. Daily Soup outlets closed, the firm was bought, the founders were down and out. Today, there is just one storefront called Daily Soup left.
But, there is the cookbook from 1999 written by the original chefs and founders. It’s filled with the exciting recipes that made the chain such a success. Consider these ideas:
Butternut Squash with Parmesan
Cheddar Cheese with Potatoes and Bacon
Poblano Corn Chowder
Roasted Red Pepper
Southwestern Green Chili with Chicken
Whish Gazpacho with Almonds and Grapes
Wild Mushroom Artichoke
Winter Borscht with Beef Short Ribs
There are recipes here for the entire year, although my list here is winter-heavy. The chill factor here in New York City the next few days will be below zero. So that Southwestern Green Chili seems very attractive.
The Daily Soup is organized into chapters based on principal ingredient:
- Vegetable
- Tomato
- Rice
- Grain, Pasta and Bead
- Corn
- Potato
- Beans
- Chili
- Lentil and Pea
- Nut
- Coconut
- Cheese
- Fruit
There’s a real spectrum of flavors here, smooth versus spice, hot versus cold, hearty versus slim, Euopean verus Asian. These are recipes that have been served to thousands and thousands of people who voted with enthusiasm for them all. I’m sure that, whichever one you choose, you’ll be pouring in a second serving.
And, then, on another day quite soon, you’ll be scanning Daily Soup for your next flavor adventure. It’s a book of liquid comfort food.