Best in Bowl

For millennia, humans have been supping on soup.

It ties with bread as the planet's oldest multi-ingredient prepared food, with recipes dating back to 10,000 B.C. Just about every tribe, civilization and culture since has riffed on the idea of a meal you sip or slurp.

There's evidence that soup even gave rise to the first modern restaurants in France. Food historians say the word “restaurant,” from the French verb for “to restore,” was first applied to a Parisian shop selling “restoratifs” — nutrient- and flavor-packed broths — in the 1700s.

In modern-day Nebraska and Iowa, soup still offers comfort. And it's celebrated in Omaha each February, when the Visiting Nurse Association hosts its annual Art & Soup contest and fundraiser.

Chefs from 26 local restaurants and catering companies competed in this year's event, held Sunday. A panel of judges (myself and three professionally trained chefs) privately sampled the unlabeled entries and chose the three winning cups. And the attending public openly voted for their favorites in the “People's Choice” awards.

We've gathered home versions of the top-rated recipes for you and asked a host of eaters, cooks and chefs what they think makes for a ribbon-worthy bowl. Some common elements emerged. If you want a truly superior soup, you may want to stock up on:

CREATIVITY & THE UNEXPECTED

“You have to be creative. I think the most fun in making soup is walking into the cooler and taking whatever ingredients you have and coming up with something stupendous. I love making things out of odd combinations.”

— Omaha chef Barb Dickhute, formerly of the Chatty Squirrel in La Vista

“Ingredients one would not expect to find combined or blended ... make for terrific soup recipes. My all-time favorite soup is one my wife makes with clams and Italian sausage. It's to die for. ” — Rich Stanko, Omaha

SENSORY ALLURE

A great soup “fills the house with a wonderful aroma while it's simmering, drawing you into the kitchen to take a taste, and brings everyone to the table.” — Michelle Rinck, Belton, Mo. (formerly of Omaha)

“Soup, like any food, is all about sensory experience: appearance, aroma, texture and flavor. It can be a well-executed version of a classic, a creative take on a classic or something completely out of left field, like a soup version of another dish.” — Karl Marsh, executive chef, Omaha Steaks

“A great soup should first have an amazing aroma, one that invites you to dip your spoon and savor it. It needs a nice balance of flavors that complement, and a contrast in textures or mouth feel.”

— Fran Beekman, Cleveland Heights, Ohio (formerly of Omaha)

QUALITY INGREDIENTS & LAYERED FLAVORS

Recipe for a great soup: “Choose good ingredients and take good care of them.”

— Justin Wiley, culinary chef-instructor at Iowa Western Community College

“I've been making soup for many years now, and the one thing I see in each soup is using good base ingredients, and building the flavor up.” He uses real stock, not water or bouillon cubes, lets each layer (aromatics, wine and stock, seasoning) cook before adding the next, and saves most of the salt and pepper for the end.

— Scott Kroeker, Omaha

SIMPLICITY

“A great soup doesn't take much research to reveal its true flavors. A great soup can be prepared with less than five ingredients, all easily found at the corner supermarket.” — Carolyn Weisbecker, Omaha

TIME & CAREFUL TENDING

“The main thing about extraordinary soups is the slow process you need to follow. I made an onion soup from my Julia Child cookbook several years ago and still make it when I have the time. I make a beef stock with bones and vegetables, unpeeled, unadorned, which I roast for several hours. ... The next day I peel yellow onions — a huge amount. I slice them and cry and saute them slowly until they are transparent and caramelized. ... Then comes the stock after it has been strained through cheesecloth. ... It's all worth it.” — Ann Chaney, Omaha

Contact the writer:

444-1069, nichole.aksamit@owh.com

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