Private: Blog & Recipes Archive

In 1986, Campbell’s founded National Soup Month, and with the intense cold that January brings, we feel that was a great decision. While January is National Soup Month, February 4th is National Homemade Soup Day. I’m already dreaming of which variety of soup I’ll be making next Thursday. But, if you’re not feeling up to cooking, definitely make sure to check out The Piping Kettle‘s many amazing soups!

Fun fact! Some say that the earliest archeological evidence for eating soup dates back to around 6000 B.C.E. The type? Hippopotamus! While it’s said to be delicious, I’m glad I wasn’t in charge of collecting the ingredients. (However, I couldn’t find a lot of evidence to support this fact.)

It was around 5000 B.C.E. that the art of pottery had advanced enough to boil liquids in them. People could now boil meats and vegetables and serve the broth with bread. Note that some sources say the history of soup, or being able to boil liquids, goes back as far as 20,000 B.C.E. in China where very ancient pottery had been discovered! Although, not having pottery to cook with doesn’t necessarily mean soup didn’t exist. Remember, soup doesn’t need to be warm. Soaking grains in water made them easier to eat, so it’s possible soups existed long before we expect, contained in animal hides and water tight baskets.

Since soup is so versatile and inexpensive, soup played an important role in people’s diets throughout time. For example, during the food shortages in the Middle Ages, soup was a staple. Soon after, around the time of the Renaissance, soup started being served before the main dish, as we often see it now – as an appetizer of sorts or a main course at restaurants.

Speaking of restaurants, did you know that the word restaurant comes from the selling and sharing of soup? It’s a bit of a long story, which you can check out here, but here’s the congested version: Since ancient times, people shared food from their own tables with travelers because they couldn’t take food with them on their journeys. Most of these meals were soup. Many places had a specific location where soups, and some other meals, were prepared and provided to the public. This is one of the earliest examples of street vendors. Soups were referred to as “restoratifs” because they were meant to restore the strength of weary travelers and others. Over time, this word developed to restaurants, and referred to places where food could be purchased to eat. How cool!

There are so many different varieties of soup in world, because the possibilities really are endless. TasteAtlas has a great article on the top ten most popular soups in the world (check it out here!) and of that list which includes soup such as Pho, Gumbo, Minestrone and Laksa, they say the most popular is ramen! We’re not only talking about the instant version, although the development of instant ramen soup, and things like canned soups, was revolutionary.

Fun fact! Soups are classified into two different categories: clear soup and thick soup! Clear soups include consommé, bouillon, broth, etc. Thick soups include purées, bisques, creams, etc. Which type of soup is your favourite and which kind will you be making? Check out a few great recipes below! We’ve listed the ingredients but click the links for instructions.

Mushroom Barley Soup – created by Jill’s Table

• 2 tbsp. (25 ml) vegetable oil or butter
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 ribs of celery, diced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 4 cups diced specialty mushrooms
• 8 cups (2L) stock (either chicken, beef or vegetable)
• 2 tsp. (10 ml) Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsp. (45 ml) tomato paste
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) fresh chopped thyme
• 2 cups (500 ml) cooked barley
• Salt and pepper to taste

Minestrone Soup

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup chopped carrot
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme or a teaspoon of dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
• 1 Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 2 cups sliced savoy or curly cabbage
• 1 zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 2 medium fresh ripe tomatoes (romas if available), cored, peeled, chopped
• 6 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian version)
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini or great northern white beans, drained (about 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Parmesan cheese, grated for garnish

Sweet Potato Soup w/ Miso and Ginger

• Olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced, about 1/4 cup
• 3 cups mashed sweet potato (from about 3 roasted sweet potatoes)
• 3 tablespoons light miso
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• Salt and pepper

Spiced yogurt drizzle:

• 1/2 cup whole milk yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup

Hearty Chicken and Wild Rice Soup – Created by Anna Carroll

To make the stock:

• 1/2 chicken
• water
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• 1 stalk celery
• bay leaf
• parsley stalks
• peppercorns

For the soup:

• 1/2 cup wild rice, or long grain rice
• 1/2 chicken, or 2 chicken breasts, cooked
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 cup mushroom, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2L chicken stock (made ahead)
• 2 cups of water
• handful fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon fresh sage or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1/4 cup butter, or neutral oil
• 1/4 cup flour, or sweet rice flour
• 2 cups milk or coconut milk
• salt

Garlic oil and crispy sage garnish:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• sage

Basic Chicken Stock (Check Pg 2 for Instructions)

• 3 lbs chicken bones
• Water, enough to cover bones by a 1/2 inch
• 1 lb mirepoix (about 2 cups)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 handful of parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 10 black peppercorns
• kosher salt

Don’t forget! The Indoor Market is open! We’ve got everything you need for a great soup! 🥘❤️

The Market continues to be open to the public as an essential service Monday to Saturday 8am-6pm. Some merchants have closed. Please see the list of closures below.

Merchants who are temporarily closed until the lockdown has lifted: 

• Bloomer’s at the Market
• Magpie’s Collected Creations
• Forget-Me-Not Flowers & More (still offering delivery or curb side pick up)
• Happy Wear
• Tina’s Treasury
• The Better Blend Smoothie Bar
• Mr. Kwik Fix
• The Salad Bowl
• The Ice Cream Bowl

ONLINE DELIVERY & Curb Side Pick-up options:

We have a number of vendors within the Market that are offering home deliveries along with curb side pick up. These vendors include:

• The Tea Haus: Website
• Tanakaya: Uber Eats, Skip the Dishes and Door Dash OR Call by phone for pick up: 519-8508838
• Cucina Italiana: Uber Eats, Skip the Dishes and Door Dash or for pick up: 519-679-4242
• Chris’ Country Cuts: : Website
• Mark’s Fine Meats: Home Delivery and Curb Side Pick Up: Website
• Seoul Seafood: Uber Eats
• The Rice Box: Uber Eats
• Thai Delight: Uber Eats & Skip the Dishes
• Olive R. Twists: Uber Eats
• The Chocolate Factory: Curb Side Pick up and Home Deliveries. Phone: 519-284-3572. Email: info@chocolatefactory.ca
• Hasbeans Coffee: Email: joel@hasbeans.ca
• Kleiber’s Deli: Please call for pick up: 519-495-7753
• Homeopathy: Curb Side Pick-up: 519-673-4447
• Forget Me Not Flowers: Phone: 519-850-3300 or order online: Website
• MagPie’s Collected Creations: Email: magpiescollectedcreations@gmail.com (please arrange for delivery or pick up)