When looking for lunch in Denver, it’s so easy to turn to sandwiches and burgers. They’re quick, affordable, and offer lots of options. But there is another great lunch choice that maybe you don’t think about much. Soup is the perfect meal-in-a-bowl. It’s less messy than a burger, cheap, and comforting. Soup is a great option during the cold Denver winter, but also a great choice all year, even a refreshing cold soup in the summer. Pair that soup with a sandwich (or a salad) and you’ve got yourself a classic American favorite lunch. You’d probably have a hard time finding someone who doesn’t like soup, it’s a culinary standard all around the world. But how much do you really know about soup?
The evidence of the first soups can be dated clear back to 20,000 B.C. The word soup is rooted in the Latin word suppa meaning “bread soaked in broth.” The first modern restaurants in 16th century France were vendors selling a highly concentrated, inexpensive soup that was meant to restore the eater. Soup has traditionally been a frugal meal in which cooks could utilize the leftovers from the kitchen, therefore not wasting anything. Virtually every cuisine in the world has soup. Canned condensed soup was invented in 1897 by Dr. John T. Dorrance, a chemist with the Campbell’s Soup Company. The product became extremely popular and allowed home cooks a convenience they hadn’t experienced prior. Today Americans eat approximately 2.5 billion bowls of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom, Tomato, and Chicken Noodle Soups every year.
Soup falls into many different categories, including bisques, chowders, clear (or broth-based), cream, potage, noodle, dessert, and cold. What are some of your favorite soups to eat when you go out for lunch in Denver? Do you turn to classic tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich? Or do you like the creamy and hearty New England Clam Chowder? At Gunther Toody’s we offer delicious soup that is made fresh in-house every day. Stop in to one of our six locations in and try a bowl with one our salads or sandwiches for a perfect lunch in Denver.