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After a 3 year hiatus, the beloved Souper Bowl charity fundraiser finally returned to Santa Fe, NM. Time to get excited!
Whoa, maybe not that excited, crazy eyes.
That's better.
(Spoiler alert - totally posing in front of one of my favorite soups.)
Food Depot Souper Bowl in Santa Fe, NM
It was a chilly 39 degrees when Sexy Nerd and I arrived in Santa Fe. Luckily there was no need to walk in the cold because tickets included validated parking at the Convention Center...except you-know-who refused to park there.
"That's where everyone is going to park," he said. It seemed we were in agreement - everyone was going to park there because that's where everyone is supposed to park. "This other place is just a 5 minute walk."
As we strolled for almost 10 minutes, teeth chattering, Sexy Nerd claimed this was part of his clever plan. By freezing ourselves beforehand, we would surely enjoy the soups that much more.
He wasn't wrong. Don't tell him that though.
Santa Fe Restaurants
Where can you taste the hottest Santa Fe restaurants, all under one roof? At the Souper Bowl, of course!
In New Mexico, we're a community of friendly people. We look out for each other. Although being a chef is a time consuming job, often requiring 60+ hour workweeks, our local chefs donated their time and skills to make the 2023 Souper Bowl a success.
How many individual soup cups did each chef (and their amazing helpers!) spoon out? Attendance sold out this year, with nearly 1,500 soupies clamoring for more. And you know we all went back for seconds...and thirds...fourths. Hey, this article is titled 'Getting Greedy in Santa Fe' for a reason. More soup, please!
(Side note: 'Soupies' sounded like such a perfect name for a group of soup enthusiasts, didn't it? Google has burst my (soup) bubble, as it turns out I just called us all a bunch of cured pork.)
Kingston Residence of Santa Fe
Nath's Inspired Khmer Cuisine from CHOMP Food Hall
Cowgirl BBQ
I'll admit I was initially disappointed Cowgirl's offering contained no BBQ. Their roasted golden beet soup quickly changed my mind though.
Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen
Cake's Cafe
Jambo Cafe (recently featured on Guy Fieri’s ‘Triple D Nation’)
Tibet Kitchen
Cafe Bon Appétit at the Institute of American Indian Arts
Also participating:
El Nido
Escondido
Rowley Farmhouse Ales
Poki Tako
Izanami
La Montanita Co-op
Red Sage at Buffalo Thunder
Wild Leaven Bakery
Cafecito
Brochacho's Food Cart
The SOUPER Soups
Side note: Writing this Souper Bowl article is making me hungry! Can we make this event a weekly occurrence?
Grab a spoon! Bonus points if your outfit has a spoon pocket.
This creamy poblano pepper soup from Kingston Residence of Santa Fe had a masterful blend of flavors. Forget Saltines. Here in NM, we garnish our soup with tortilla strips.
Sexy Nerd was reluctant to make the drive to Santa Fe, preferring to spend his day off painting our bedroom instead. "I don't really like soup," he complained, having clearly forgotten how much he enjoyed attending the previous Souper Bowl. As you can see, that was nonsense and he found his red lentil soup from Cafecito thoroughly delicious.
Don't let this corn chowder fool you. It's actually Red Sage's Gramitas de Calabacita, one of our favorite contenders in the Vegetarian category.
The previous Souper Bowl's winner had featured chocolate and cherry. Continuing the 'dessert soup' tradition, we were excited when Brochacho's Food Cart offered a warm serving of biscochito to drink. Our state cookie, in a cup!
I'm usually wary of anything that tastes "of the ocean" but even I enjoyed all 5 soups competing in the Seafood category. This crab bisque from Jambo Cafe featured the fresh flavors of basil and coconut.
Already surprised with myself for enjoying the fishy options, I went back for seconds of this provençale seafood bisque. Cafe Bon Appétit has won me over.
Soup's Fun...But Wait, There's More!
It's difficult to think of a dish more comforting than a hot bowl of soup on a cold, winter day, but The Food Depot came up with exactly that - fresh bread to dip into your soup! Mmmm, it turns out that a crusty rye makes an excellent pairing for Escondido's smoked tortilla soup with shrimp and avocado.
One of the highlights of the Souper Bowl was the sense of community. Food brings everyone together. I even made a new friend, a woman who complimented my orange jacket as being well planned, as it's easy to spot in the crowd and not get lost. I lamented to her that my husband had taken the opposite approach to his ensemble, preferring to blend in.
Sexy Nerd wore a flannel shirt, the camouflage of half the men in the crowd. Such a punk, that guy. I finally caught up to him at the Starbucks booth, which served complimentary coffee and tea.
Sexy Nerd pointed out that I need to pay attention, as I'd accidentally taken a photo of someone's feet. So silly - intentional photo because these boots are fabulous!
Something I enjoyed almost as much as the flavorful soups (and free Starbucks and...plentiful restrooms, because let's face it, this event is nonstop hydration) was the catered desserts. Thank you, What The Truck, for satisfying my sweet tooth.
This lemon tart had fresh berries, so it was technically a healthy choice, right?
The Food Depot
You vote with your dollars and a dollar given to The Food Depot says you care. Sadly, New Mexico ranks 3rd worst in the USA for poverty. This includes a whopping 25% of our state's children.
The Food Depot fights food insecurity, reducing the need for families to decide between paying for expenses, such as housing and medical emergencies, and going hungry.
A team of volunteers and a network of partner nonprofits provide hunger relief throughout 9 counties.
The Food Depot consistently receives a 4-star Charity Navigator rating, making them one of the most efficient and effective organizations. If you would like to donate to help end hunger in New Mexico, you can be confident the dollars you give to The Food Depot make a difference. With $75,000, The Food Depot can provide an incredible 300,000 nutritious meals - that's only $0.25 per meal!
I double checked my math on that last part, as it seemed too good to be true. The math checks out.
Is love the secret ingredient? Knowing every Souper Bowl ticket purchased will create 100 meals makes the soups taste even better.
Souper Bowl Winners
At The Food Depot's Souper Bowl, everyone's a winner! Oh, you want to know which soups are the winners? I can help with that.
As votes were made, an enormous digital board updated throughout the event.
All of the teams had brought their A-game.
WINNER: Dr. Field Goods' Truffled Cauliflower (Best Cream Soup and Best Overall)
WINNER: El Nido's Coconut Green Curry (Best Seafood)
WINNER: Nath's Inspired Khmer Cuisine's Chicken Tom Yum (Best Savory)
2024 Souper Bowl
I'll see you next year and will be sure to book our tickets early, as the 2023 Souper Bowl sold out well before the event.
No need to switch up your recipes for the next round, chefs, as I would gladly consume a gallon of each of the winning soups!