Soup Stories

“A lot of it has to do with evolving tastes. If done well with the best ingredients available,soups will soon substitute mains,” says Gresham Fernandes,Group Executive Chef — Fine Dine,Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt Ltd,which owns Salt Water Cafe.

Apart from some standard soups,Salt Water Cafe’s beetroot and wasabi soup,and smoked sausage and tenderloin with leek and potato broth are aimed at that. Cafe Zoe,Lower Parel,offers warm and cold soups — clear chicken broth with matzo balls,and the melon gazpacho. Indigo Deli,Palladium and Colaba are known to experiment with different soups on their daily specials menu. There are some interesting variants,which include the chilled melon and buttermilk soup,and roasted carrot with cilantro. Tomato soups are still a favourite among diners looking for comfort and familiarity in their broths. But chefs are adding a creative spin to this by roasting or steaming the tomatoes,as they do at Bonobo,Bandra,which also uses an equal portion of cherry and regular tomatoes to balance acidity.

“A good soup is meant to tantalise taste buds,” says Sahil Timbadia,partner at Bonobo,which is also quite popular for its forest mushrooms with chives soup. “Depending on the time of the day and season — evenings during the monsoons,especially — people are up for a nice,hearty soup,” he says.

One of the key efforts in the direction is their use of seasonal ingredients to keep soups fresh and open to experimentation. “We always depend on seasons,availability and what’s exciting,” says Chef Amit Bajaj,chef de cuisine at Indigo Deli,adding,“If,for instance,I get good carrots in the market,I will probably consider preparing a roast carrot soup with corn or cilantro.”

The variations,very different from what Indians have been accustomed to in the past,also give chefs the opportunity to experiment with flavours and maybe teach their diners a thing or two about the pairing of different ingredients and flavours along the way. “People who are averse to certain vegetables,such as beetroot,pumpkin and asparagus,are more open to try it as an ingredient in a soup,” says Chef Viraf Patel,executive chef and partner at Cafe Zoe. “There’s always a demand for variety and change. People are now open to trying out new things,” he adds.

Despite the various things that go in staying consistent and satiating,chefs sincerely believe that the area of soups need to be given attention. Sure,it doesn’t move as fast as appetisers,or even salads for that matter. “Take for instance cold soups,which are ordered by select few,except for the more popular gazpacho,” points out Fernandes.

But even as Indians start changing their perceptions towards soup,chefs are cooking up different ways to wow their patrons. “We as chefs have to look at soups with a different viewpoint as well and not just consider it as a filler in the menu,” says Fernandes. Good presentation can change that — the textures,such as thick,creamy,broth or clear,can be played around with. “Also,a variety of accompaniments and add-ons help.

Depending on the consistency and what it’s paired with — we pair ours with cheeses or bruschetta — it can even make for a good starter,or a filling main,” explains Timbadia.