Jul. 02, 2008 - Issue #663: The Bestest of Edmonton
Soul Soup
... but she does make a mean soup
The years went by and I grew older, more mature and even a little bit wiser. And my taste buds evolved, as they have a habit of doing. Now soup is not just one of my favourite comfort foods, it’s one of my favourite foods, period. There are still soups I don’t like and never will (chicken feet comes to mind), but, for the most part, I adore soup and will eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner—well, maybe not breakfast.
Soul Soup, a little take-out soup place, has been open for almost 2 1/2 years, but I’ve never even wandered past it. I’m sure I’ve eaten soup created by Soul Soup’s soup designer, Carla Alexander, before—she was the soup master at Cu lina for a while; for her full background, see the profile on page 14—but I’ve never done the take-out thing. I think the downtown location is what got to me. I have nightmares about parking there and avoid it at all costs.
But the day came when I was craving soup but didn’t have the time or the desire to make my own, and the can-opener kind just wouldn’t do. I wanted to pick something up for dinner, and, since they close at 6 pm, I thought I’d make the harrowing journey mid-afternoon and avoid the whole lunch crush.
The little soup kitchen is tucked away nonchalantly in a corner of Rice Howard Way, low-key but with a confident aura. No neon signs, no glaring colours, just sedate simplicity—big windows, a plain exterior and a modest brown, white and pink sign.
The entrance to Soul Soup is actually via the restaurant/coffee shop next door. When I walked in late that Friday afternoon, the place was empty except for an intriguing, delicious smell. I was met by a small but open room with high ceilings, huge steaming soup pots and warm-yet-vibrant shades of bright fuscia and chocolate brown surrounding me. A menu board, high and off to the side, listed the three soups of the day (one fish, one meat and one veggie) in red and pink, each number or letter on a retro-looking little square. It added to the eclectic, funky, nostalgic atmosphere of the place.
As I moved towards the huge pots of soup, Alexander, one of the owners of Soul Soup, emerged from the back with a friendly smile. I checked out the soups of the day, simmering away temptingly behind a glass counter that gave me a perfect view of what each looked like. There was a Southern Chicken Bacon Gumbo, a Red Curry with Tomato, Ginger and Romano Cheese and a Peruvian Shrimp and Corn Chowder. During the lunch rush, from 11am - 2 pm, they also do Bul-Go-Gi Rice Bowls for the non-soup lover ($8), but I was too late for it to be an option.
After inspecting the soups, I decided on 8 oz of the Red Curry Soup and 8 oz of the Peruvian Shrimp instead of 16 oz of one kind—that way I’d get to sample more than one. I’m not an overly huge person, but 8 oz of soup wouldn’t even come close to filling me up. You can get 8 oz for $4, 16 oz for $6.50, 32 oz for $10, and 2 litres for $20, and each order comes with a large Portuguese bun from the Handy Bakery.
While Carla ladled up my soup into nifty little containers, I noticed a sign saying that they also sold frozen soup. Since my freezer is always happier when it contains soup, I couldn’t resist. After intense deliberation, I chose a litre of the South Indian Salmon Rasam ($9)—an Indian/Moroccan lentil soup with wild salmon—over the Thai Curry Pork with Almonds.
Desserts are usually from the Handy Bakery but, on days that they have a bit of extra time, they’ll make something on the premises. Today wasn’t such a day (darn), so I added two hefty slabs of in-house made cheddar cornbread ($2 each) to my little carry-out bag and was on my way.
Back home, I pried open the lids of both containers and unwrapped one of the pieces of cornbread. It looked so moist and yummy, with little bits of corn and morsels of cheese, that I had to pop a chunk in before I even sat down at the table. It was incredible, absolutely incredible—I’d make the journey downtown just for that cornbread.
The soups each gave off complicated, intense aromas and, except for both being loaded with veggies, were quite different. The Peruvian Shrimp was thick, rich and filled with shrimp, corn, carrots, onions and celery. It was spicy but not overly hot and you could tell it was made with fish stock–it added an extra dimension.
My favourite was the Red Curry Soup. The broth was thinner and it kind of reminded me of minestrone, but with different spices and veggies. It was also loaded with carrots, onions and celery; the romano cheese added some bite as well as a bit of creaminess.
I evidently didn’t get enough soup that night so I ended up thawing the South Indian Salmon Rasam way sooner than I was planning to. It didn’t disappoint either. Thick with lentils, carrots, onions and celery, along with bits of tomato and plenty of chunks of wild salmon, it was complex, hearty and comforting.
The soups I sampled were bold and slightly exotic, with a depth you certainly won’t find in a can. Kind of like the comfort foods you are used to, but with a bit of a twist. Brave the parking and seek out Soul Soup—the cornbread alone is definitely worth it. And if you work or live downtown, lucky you. V
Mon - Fri (11 am - 6 pm)
Soul Soup
140, 10020 - 101A, Rice Howard Way
780.409.8272
More info about Soul Soup →
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