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Soup

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  1. SRD
    Moderator

    We've had discussions of coffee and cakes, but not soup. My husband has long said I should open a restaurant that just serves soup. Unfortunately, we've been beaten to it. Union of Genius has opened on Forest Rd (next to Monster Mash, I think). And my first impression is very favourable. Most of the soups were finished when I got there, but the Caldo Verde was very nice indeed, and kept me functioning all afternoon - which is more than I can say for most of my brought in and bought in lunches, which usually leave me munching all afternoon.

    Oh, and they use compostable takeaway containers from vegware, which is how I heard about them.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  2. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Posted 12 years ago #

  3. gembo
    Member

    Looks good - also does bread, salads and cake - this should help them through the leaner summer months when soup goes off the menu at least in my kitchen. I have tried gazpacho and vichy sois (sp?) but find them to be chilled which is wrong.

    I also liked that they gave you loyalty point if you brought your own mug.

    Are they in a building formerly owned by the now bankrupt Edinburgh University Settlement?

    Anyone interested in breathtaking local controversy check this out [read all the comments too for further controversy]

    http://brightgreenscotland.org/index.php/2010/11/edinburgh-university-settlement-when-not-if-the-slow-demise-of-a-much-loved-old-friend/

    Posted 12 years ago #

  4. wingpig
    Member

    Noticed the Forrest Road place the other day. It's been a good two years since I last went to a soup café or whatever the appropriate Belgianic term is.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  5. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    I've thought for a long time that what central Edinburgh needed was a place that just did really good soup and/or stovies and/or porridge. I'd draw the line at mince and tatties. I've eaten enough of that to last a life-time.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  6. gembo
    Member

    Tom - still thinking this is largely a winter menu? Or not very summery - but maybe that works in Scotland?

    This business still going strong?

    http://www.stoatsporridgebars.co.uk/aboutus.php

    They came to the Balerno Farmer's Market and I had some, even tho I had just had some in the house. Trendy porridge is possible.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  7. wee folding bike
    Member

    The NMS had a soup cafe at the back but I think it was closed before the recent refurb.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  8. crowriver
    Member

    Maybe über=traditionalist but how about making your own soup, heating a portion up and popping it in a flask? Some flasks fit in a bottle cage, otherwise there are these amazing things called panniers.

    I'm trying to wean myself off take-away lunches and make my own sarnies/rolls/salad etc. instead. Can't beat a nice spot of home made soup: you know exactly what has gone into it for starters...

    Posted 12 years ago #

  9. custard
    Member

    anyone watch Man V Food?
    If you get past the monster headline meals
    A lot of these diners do some quality fresh food that we dont really get here

    Posted 12 years ago #

  10. chdot
    Admin

    Gifford soup


    Mushroom soup

    Posted 12 years ago #

  11. Its_Me_Knees
    Member

    During the snows last winter I had to make a few mercy dashes - well, slippy-slidey saunters really - to the local shops to forage for provisions for my family. Amid the rapidly emptying shelves of Tesco in DMains I (re)discovered mulligatawny soup. It was just the best thing after a cross-street snowball fight. I've only ever had the Heinz variety though... I wonder if anyone does a 'fresh' version.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  12. gembo
    Member

    I-M-K - Baxter's minestrone for me.

    Folds - I was in that soup cafe at back of NMS many times but I do not think I ever had soup. They did good sandwiches too.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  13. cc
    Member

    Mmm. Guilty soup pleasures.
    When I find myself in Germany I head for a supermarket and buy lots of Linsentopf to bring home. It's like lentil soup on steroids. Great stuff.
    http://www.simplygerman.co.uk/images/products/knorr-deftiger-linsentopf518.jpg

    Posted 12 years ago #

  14. crowriver
    Member

    Nettle soup is surprisingly nutritious. The main ingredient is free and plentiful too, though some sturdy rubber gloves required when harvesting.

    Pea and ham, or lentil and bacon are old favourites; chicken broth too. Mulligatawny I've only ever had from a can, it's a bit like spicy oxtail soup I suppose. I suppose if you made a beef or lamb curry with tomatoes, and added more liquids than normal, if it cooked for long enough you could drain off the excess liquids and get a sort of home made mulligatawny. Or else there are recipes for bespoke mulligatawny.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  15. Its_Me_Knees
    Member

    Crowriver : That mulligatawny recipe looks very tempting, and not over-complicated. Might give it a go when the snows fall...

    Posted 12 years ago #

  16. Nelly
    Member

    " I (re)discovered mulligatawny soup"

    Our staff restaurant does mulligatawny - to an amazingly high standard. I am not lying when I say some people get it as takeaway to eat at home - and for 44p per portion !

    Yum !

    Posted 12 years ago #

  17. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    Gembo - I love the Stoats Porridge Stall combination of porridge, chopped hazelnuts, white chocolate buttons and single cream.

    chdot - that was nice soup, with a coffee and a cake for £5.50 wasn't too bad.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  18. Its_Me_Knees
    Member

    Nelly : sounds like a very worthwhile staff eaterie. Can you smuggle out soup for the poor and needy of CCE...?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  19. Nelly
    Member

    IMK, in the good old days I could have sneaked you past security, but sadly its like fort knox now.

    Back there in a few weeks, will see if I can get a takeaway for you !

    Posted 12 years ago #

  20. Its_Me_Knees
    Member

    Nelly, you are a philanthropist of the highest order.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  21. SRD
    Moderator

    We have porridge at home, but have got in the habit of doing our own 'stoats', depending on the season:

    -dried cherries are fabulous. cut them in half and add early on. (we get cherries as xmas presents from m-in-law who lives in cherry producing state)
    -dried apples current favourite - use scissors to chop and add, then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
    -in season, fresh strawberries and raspberries, blueberries if in Canada

    - we usually use the darkest muscovado sugar we can get (real foods), but I like demerara with raspberries, and sometimes scottish honey for a change.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  22. chdot
    Admin

    Recipe please.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  23. SRD
    Moderator

    Recipe for the porridge? That's sensitive stuff. not sure you should ask colonials. We started eating porridge in Zimbabwe when the Scots emigre family we were staying with always had them. Made with South African 'Jungle oats' :)

    Anyway, these days we go for a 3-1 ratio using Stoats* mixed porridge oats, and add a spoonful of powdered milk to make sure everyone gets their calcium.

    *or sometimes Flahavans

    Posted 12 years ago #

  24. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Our work soups are dreadful, I think they must come in as soup concentrate which are watered down. Even tinned soup is nicer. I'm very fond of Heinz Tomato as a comfort food, not because it's that nice, but more for sentimental reasons.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  25. cb
    Member

    Our work soups are often yesterday's leftovers (not off the plates, I hope) run through a blender.

    Can be pretty good, but can lead to some odd varieties. Cauliflower and Chorizo, that kind of thing.

    Whenever the soup name is preceded by "Curried" or "Spicy" you know it's left overs.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  26. wingpig
    Member

    Our canteen's "cream of spicy haggis" soup was so popular and allegedly tasty that a colleague requested that it become a regular offering.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  27. crowriver
    Member

    Our work soups are often yesterday's leftovers (not off the plates, I hope) run through a blender.

    Taking them off plates would be against hygiene regulations. Nothing wrong with using leftovers, that's usually the genesis of classics like chicken soup for example.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  28. kaputnik
    Moderator

    You do get trends developing in our canteen e.g. Monday something is offered with boiled potatoes, Tuesday there is potato salad, Wednesday there is potato soup. Better than throwing good food out!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  29. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    @kaputnik: I dread to think where they get their mushrooms and blue cheese from then.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  30. SRD
    Moderator

    NEW soup at george square: Elephant Juice soup bar. they don't seem to have www web address just FB (sorry). although they are on twitter.

    But I like their van and their idea. The fact that it is JUST outside my work is convenient. Based on one try, however, their soup is not as good as Union of Genius, and their bread is decidedly lower quality. However, I will heroically sample more so as to provide a fairer comparison :)

    Review here says bloke used to be a corporate lawyer.

    If you google, you also find an interesting council doc (pdf) which makes it clear that the southside community council objected to them opening on MMW, and that the George Square site was/is a compromise. CC seemed most concerned about litter and competition for Starbucks and peter's yard. More serious issue was access - they had proposed to access MMW via GS, which was noted to be a footway/cyclpath.

    Posted 12 years ago #

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