Club + Resort Chef

  • Home
  • Chefs
  • F&B
  • Banquet
  • Auto-Fire
  • Podcast
  • Master Class
  • C+R Talks Live!
  • Recipes
  • Chef to Chef Conference
  • Resources
    • C+RC Association
    • Top Ranked Culinary Experience
    • Digital Issues
    • News
    • Webinars
    • Videos
    • Virtual Cooking Competition
    • Sponsored Content
    • FAQs
    • Advertise

Soul-Warming Soups

By Joanna DeChellis, Editor, Club + Resort Chef | September 29, 2014

Butternut squash soup with maple crème fraîche and fried leeks.

Butternut squash soup with maple crème fraîche and fried leeks.

“The ultimate comfort food” can offer members satisfying blends of flavor, color, texture and aroma.

Soup is the ultimate comfort food. Its rich depth of flavor entices the taste buds, and its warmth soothes the soul.

Soup is also a kitchen workhorse. It helps chefs move product and allows them to feature seasonal ingredients. And it can be made well in advance and held until service.

“Soups are a great way to recycle ingredients and stay on budget,” says Kevin James, Executive Chef of Ivy Hills Country Club, Cincinnati, Ohio. “But they shouldn’t be treated as leftovers. Many of our soups are elegant enough to stand on their own as a meal.”

Paula DaSilva, Executive Chef of 3030 Ocean, a dining venue at Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., agrees.

“When we’re coming up with soups we do a lot of wandering around the kitchen,” she says. “But that’s usually how our very best dishes come to be.”

Like sauces, soup-making is an elegant art and an understated way to show off one’s culinary expertise. Great soups are made patiently by letting them simmer and develop flavor.

“Creating successful soups takes passion and care,” says James. “You have to know how to carefully build character.”

Both broth-based and cream-based soups are popular with Ivy Hills CC’s 620 members. And while a la carte menus change seasonally, soups change far more frequently.

“Our ‘Soup of the Moment’ program underscores just how fresh everything is,” says James. “We do soups that are really traditional and rustic, like chicken noodle and wild mushroom, as well as more comforting soups, like broccoli cheddar and lobster bisque.”

Older members at Ivy Hills tend to prefer heartier cream-based soups, James notes, while younger, more health-conscious members favor vegetable and broth-based soups.

Either way, freshness is key.

At Harbor Beach, seasonal soups are especially popular, reports DaSilva, who prepares mostly modern American seafood at 3030 Ocean.

“Our butternut squash soup with maple crème fraîche and fried leeks is a huge hit with guests this time of year,” she says (see photo, above). “It has a rich flavor, with a fresh, sweet and creamy garnish.”

Two other popular one-bowl wonders are DaSilva’s tomato bisque, served with a mini-grilled cheese Panini, and corn chowder, which she’ll plate with a garnish that is super-flexible.

“We garnish it with a corn relish that can be added warm or cold,” she says. “It makes sense both ways.”

And that’s really the beauty of soup. It’s flexible and flavorful, all at once.

About The Author

Joanna DeChellis, Editor, Club + Resort Chef

As Director of Content of Club + Resort Chef, Joanna DeChellis has written dozens of profiles detailing the inner workings of food and beverages operations at clubs and resorts across the country. She’s penned award-winning articles about the many intricacies within food and beverage as well as culinary trends and breaking news. She is co-host of the award-winning podcast, Club + Resort Talks, and has served in a variety of content-development roles over the course of her career, including digital, marketing, print, and in-person events. She’s also the Director of Community for the Club + Resort Chef Association. Prior to these roles, she was the Managing Editor of Club + Resort Business.

Related Articles Read More >

Chorizo California Avocado Egg Roll
Fresh Mango Gazpacho
Jacksonville G&CC Wows Members with Game of Thrones Chef’s Table [Slideshow]
Was it a Calculated Career or a Lifetime of Learning?
Top Ranked Private Club and Resorts for Culinary Experiences

Club + Resort Chef Association

Join hundreds of your peers!

C+RC Association Join the Club and Resort Chef Association to network with professionals in your area, meet local vendors, gain access to educational programs and materials and more!

C+RC Newsletter

Club + Resort Chef Digital Editions

Club & Resort BusinessBrowse the current issue and archived issues of Club + Resort Chef in an easy-to-use, high-quality format. Bookmark, share and interact with the leading club and resort chef magazine today.

Get the Magazine!

Club + Resort Chef
Club + Resort Chef
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Recipes
  • Submit a Recipe
  • Club & Resort Chef Association
  • Club & Resort Business

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Club + Resort Chef

  • Home
  • Chefs
  • F&B
  • Banquet
  • Auto-Fire
  • Podcast
  • Master Class
  • C+R Talks Live!
  • Recipes
  • Chef to Chef Conference
  • Resources
    • C+RC Association
    • Top Ranked Culinary Experience
    • Digital Issues
    • News
    • Webinars
    • Videos
    • Virtual Cooking Competition
    • Sponsored Content
    • FAQs
    • Advertise