A souper Gourmet Girl, care of Union of Genius

This review appears on www.bite-magazine.com

Greetings! I hope this  finds you with a seasonal spring in your step.  I’m eagerly awaiting the return of leaves to the trees, and getting the veggie patch going again. If I have one culinary ambition for 2012, it’s to make more soups. In the great Scottish tradition, my mum’s cooking includes a delicious repertoire of hearty broths, and it’s from her I learned how to make stocks with the requisite zen patience.

If a time-saving ‘cheat’ is required, I don’t feel bad as Kallo’s Organic stock cubes (www.kalloorganic.com) are good, with  various vegetable and meat-based options. Spring greens, leeks, kale, onions and peas are all delicious veggies to chop up and  throw in for a healthy pot. If you like Thai-style flavours, try Tom Yum paste as a base for soup. It’s concentrated stuff, packed with galangal, lemongrass, lime and chillies and is wonderful for Asian noodle broths.

Here in Edinburgh we’re now lucky to have Scotland’s first ‘soup café’ in Union of Genius. The brainchild of former geologist Elaine Mason, the genius really is in its simplicity. Six fresh soups (including two vegan choices) are served every day, three of which are seasonal specials, and three others from a daily-changing roster. They are accompanied by a selection of four breads, supplied by local bakery Dough Re Mi, cakes from Love Pure Cakes and Artisan Roast’s coffee.

If you’re looking for a delicious lunch, and perhaps some inspiration for your own home-cooked soup recipes, I can’t recommend this place highly enough. I had a tour ‘backstage’ to the kitchen, where all the creations come together, using locally sourced Organic vegetables wherever possible. It might be the scientist in her as Elaine’s knowledge of spices and ingredients seems encyclopedic, evidenced in the well-stocked pantry.

Caldo Verde is one of the current seasonal soups, and has proven to be the most popular. It’s a smoky hearty number, with Portuguese chorizo sausage, potato and iron-rich kale. My favourite of the day’s specials was the cream of leek and potato, with fennel and za’atar, and I fell in love with the warm flavours in the seasoning. Their loyalty scheme encourages return of the vegware packaging for responsible recycling, so there’s even more reason to go back again to try more soups. Now that is clever!