Souper Market? I'll Take the Soup, Thanks!

With two west-side locations, Cleveland's Souper Market is an occasional treat enjoyed on the odd early trip to Lakewood or Ohio City.

At least it was until about two weeks ago!

As I was driving into work a few weeks back I noticed this sign in a window along Carnegie Avenue:

(OK, not this one exactly. This is one of the west-side locations, but the east-side shop is too new to have Internet pictures up yet)

I was so souprised I nearly wrecked my car rubbernecking!

It was about two days, though, before I was able to actually make it in, but it's safe to say that the new east-side Souper Market is every bit as good as its cross-town counterparts.

One of the great aspects of Souper Market is their willingness to give you samples before you make a decision, so my first trip in I tried a few spoonfuls before selecting their special for the week: Potato-Havarti-Bacon! This creamy potato-based soup has the cheese cooked into it so it's velvety smooth and luxuriantly rich. The goodness is ratcheted up a dozen notches or so by the addition of a generous handful of bacon added to the top. Veggie readers take comfort, though, many of Souper Market's offerings are meat optional so you could enjoy this, too! Vegan soup enthusiasts take heart! Souper Market regularly offers several vegan options, too!

My second trip earlier this week found me spoon deep in one of my favorite Souper Market offerings: Jambalaya! This thick, spicy concoction is loaded with tender pulled chicken, spicy chicken sausage and few shrimp. It's hearty, spicy, and filling; the perfect foil to Cleveland's often brutal winter days, but thankfully not so spicy as to be unpalatable.

The east-side installation of Souper Market is great news indeed as there are precious few places to get a quick delicious lunch in East Cleveland, I'm just going to have to make sure I don't eat there more than once a week!

Plus, Souper Market is more than great soup, they also offer a variety of healthy salads, delicious artisanal breads, and a rotating cast of sides. My first few west-side visits were accompanied by delicious pierogies. It seems that Souper Market is now proffering homemade Crab Cakes!

http://www.thesoupermarket.com/

Quick and Easy Indian Soup!

A few snowy nights ago Nicole and I needed a quick, warm, filling meal. Soup seemed to fit the bill, but so many of the really tasty looking soups in the cook book take hours to prepare, simmer, etc. and we were hungry now! Finally we stumbled onto a simple and delicious recipe in one of the Moosewood cookbooks. After a quick trip through Dave’s we were ready to assemble our evening repast: Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup!

Here’s how it works:

1. Chop and sauté one medium onion in a1-2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large soup pot

2. Once softened add 1½ tbsp fresh grated ginger and 2-3 tsp curry powder continue sautéing until onions take on color but be sure not to burn the spices

3. After sautéing for a few minutes at 1 15oz can of chickpeas and 3 cups of vegetable stock

4. Cover the pot and bring to a boil

5. Once boiling add a 28oz can of diced tomatoes and 1 small head of cauliflower, coarsely chopped

6. Reduce heat and bring to a simmer

7. Allow soup to simmer at least 5 minutes or until the cauliflower is cooked to desired texture

8. Take 2-3 cups of the soup and pulse in a blender, then return puree to pot and stir to combine.

9. Top with chopped cilantro and chutney, and serve with naan!

A flavorful, aromatic soup with a hint of the curry powder’s spice, we opted to kick things up a few notches with an extra dash of curry power and about half-a-teaspoon of cayenne, but you could add some Scotch Bonnet and take it into serious Indian territory. And not only is this soup delicious but including shopping time it took maybe an hour to make and the leftovers only get better as the spices and flavors have more time to mingle