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PrintHot Bowl for the Chilly Soul
Whether for a snack, appetizer, or complete meal, think soup...
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Dan Long, who served as production manager for Alpinist Magazine in Jackson, relied on soup to power him through long deadline days and weeks, when he spent more time staring at the computer than enjoying the fluffy flakes falling from the sky.
“While I rarely choose soup as a stand-alone meal, a bowl of Pica’s tortilla soup has always been a great break from my lunchtime rut in the depths of winter,” he says. “The soup, essentially a purée, is a thick base with a touch of cheese and tortilla strips. It has just enough spice to warm the back of the throat, and perfectly complements a couple of fish tacos.”
This spice-at-the-back-of-the-throat concept points to soup’s restorative qualities. Comfort, it turns out, is not just an emotional response; it can actually stem from healing properties soups may contain. Broth soup flavored with ginger or garlic, for example, fights colds, according to Cooking Light. And an article in the food magazine reports that chicken soup has been a long-standing, doctor-approved remedy for what ails you dating back as far as 60 A.D. … and that a 1978 medical study found chicken soup to be the most effective hot liquid for clearing stuffed-up noses.
“The hot soup nourishes, hydrates, and steams open clogged nasal passages,” the article states. “The faster mucus flows, the better: These nasal secretions help expel viruses.”
Because I was spoon-fed so much chicken soup while sick as a child, today I can sip the healing mix only when I feel a cold coming on. On the other hand, I can eat a lot of French onion soup on almost any occasion, so it’s good that nearly every soup-serving kitchen in Jackson Hole makes its own version of the popular staple.
Screenwriter and Jackson Hole Magazine contributor Melanie White, who spent last summer in England, has returned to Jackson this winter to ski … and to enjoy her weekly slurpings at Burke’s Chop House, where the French onion soup is baked and finished with three cheeses. “I’ve tasted many French onions in my quest for the best,” White says, “and Burke’s soup still has the edge. I think it’s the right balance of onion, cheese, bread, and broth, and the fact they put leeks in it sets it apart.”
Another local writer, Cara Froedge, dedicates a lot of her non-working hours to concocting and consuming new dishes, especially in the soup department. She’s not afraid to try prepared soups either, especially while on deadline at the Jackson Hole News&Guide.
“When I am at work, I love to go get a big cup of tortilla soup from Hard Drive [Café], posole from Picas, or veggie tofu soup from Chinatown,” says Froedge, who recently launched a food-related blog called Fresh. “It’s easy to eat and not so filling that it makes you sleepy.”
Froedge often makes a pot of soup on Sunday and another one midweek for lunch and dinner meals. She especially enjoys her soup after snowshoeing or skate skiing.
Soup can be elegant and feature fancy garnishes, like the Rusty Parrot’s asparagus soup—one of many courses in a dinner—or it can be simple, like the broccoli-cheese soup takeout from Jackson Whole Grocer. Just about anyone coming in from the cold who wants a quick snack or a full meal can be warmed with some of the soup delights created by valley chefs. Soup is the perfect meal for any occasion, really, and it always makes you feel warm, nourished, hydrated, and happy.
As Froedge says, and as most Jackson Hole soup lovers would agree: “I could eat soup for every meal, all year-round. And the only utensil required is a spoon.”
Back at Nora’s, by the time the server places the thick, orange pumpkin soup in front of us, my partner’s cheeks have returned to red, my braids have thawed out, and our jackets are hanging to dry on the backs of our chairs.
I lean in close to the bowl and let the rich steam touch my face. I dip my spoon in and swirl the soup, thick like pudding. The first taste bites my tongue, but goes down hot to my growling stomach. I look over at my partner, planning to comment on how my lips and throat tingle with warmth. But his eyes are closed and he’s taking a deep breath.
“Good soup,” he says, opening his eyes and blowing on his next spoonful to cool it.
“Mmm,” I agree. “Good.”
