When we first opened the bakery, Neil’s focus was wholesale accounts at small grocers and boutique cafés, so he made his pastries and biscuits to go.
At the time, Wylie Dufresne, the famed chef, was opening his WD-50 down the street and his father, Dewey (also his wine director) came in often for his morning coffee. He said he and his workers couldn’t get lunch anywhere in the neighborhood: “You should make soups.” Of course he was right, and Neil went crazy with soups. Word spread fast and before we knew it, calls were coming in every morning asking for the soup of the day. We were shocked at just how many people on the Lower East Side wanted a freshly made soup.
These days our soups at the bakery stand out because of their seasonal ingredients, down-home flavor, and the quality products we use. The Tomato Zucchini Bisque, for example, is an homage to end-of-season tomatoes—and to having too much zucchini on hand. The Lobster Bisque captures the essence of lobster without going overboard on the cream or thickening agents. It’s a rustic version of a fancy soup that really exemplifies the flavors a lobster shell will give.
The thing to remember about soups is that they develop over time. They’re also inexpensive to make, forgiving of mistakes, and the perfect answer to the dilemma of leftovers. Throw in your stray crudités from a party on Saturday night, liberate your canned beans, chop up your wilting fresh herbs… Presto! You’ve got a meal.
If, like us, you prefer creamy pureed soup, even without the cream, and you don’t want to go through the hassle of blending, invest in a beurre mixer or immersion blender, which is a utensil you can put directly into the pot to create the consistency that you desire.