Food services cook Jeffrey Hechter was nicknamed the “Soupmeister,” making the popular campus soups daily. Each soup comes in two sizes, small and large, made with fresh ingredients and served with a side of warm ciabatta bread. With different choices in vegetarian and hearty meat soups, it can satisfy everyone’s dietary needs.
The vegetarian potato curry is a potato puréed broth soup with peas and croutons, served on Tuesday. Although you can taste the potato and curry, there is a lack of potato chunks. The soup comes with croutons that quickly become soggy on top of the broth, but noodles would give the soup a better texture and still keep it vegetarian.
Peas are included, but more vegetables—carrots, broccoli or beans—would have made the soup heartier. The curry is wonderful, but it should include more spices, such as cayenne, to give it a kick. The soup is salty, so eat the soup with bread or compliment it with a sandwich or salad. The potato curry soup tastes similar to a chicken noodle broth, so it is perfect for anyone feeling under the weather.
On Wednesday, a hearty turkey and wild rice soup includes rice, turkey and vegetables. The ingredient portions will not disappoint anyone. There is a good amount of rice, slices of turkey and lots of carrots, celery and tomatoes.
Small pieces of jicama give the soup a crunchy texture. The broth is a little creamy, but mild. The flavor is wonderful, but it needs a little extra spicy element. There is a lot of sodium, so it is best to eat it with bread, or it can be eaten as a meal itself. The turkey and wild rice soup is a good choice for a cold day.
The gumbo ya-ya served on Thursday contains lots of white rice, huge portions of chicken, sausage and vegetables. It is lower in sodium, has a lot of flavor and the right amount of seasonings and spice. The broth has a mild, beef and tomato flavor.
The vegetables include celery, tomatoes, green and red peppers and onions. Though the soup was served with bread, it was not necessary. It can be a meal itself, because it is filling. It is a soup to take your time and enjoy like a miniature stew.
The soups are ready at 11 a.m. Monday to Friday in the cafeteria on the first and second floors.
