Not too long ago, October was the most underrated month of the year. While the uninformed masses cursed the shorter days and the encroaching chill in the air, those in the know slipped into their comfiest sweats, mixed up a pumpkin spice beverage of choice, and sat back to enjoy the turning foliage. At Perrotti’s, we’ve always been firmly entrenched in the latter camp, but there’s way more company these days.
Not that we’re complaining at October’s increasing popularity. Apple cider, pumpkin spice lattes, flannel shirts, and Ernest Scared Stupid are national treasures, and it’s high time they were treated as such. However, until now America’s newfound love for October has ignored a key piece of the puzzle: soup.
Like a talented drummer keeping the beat and holding the entire band together, a well-executed soup elevates any multi-course it’s a part of. But like a football referee that manages to get all the crucial calls right, soup’s excellence is far too often overlooked. But you’ll never hear soup complain about it, and within that versatility lies its greatness. Soup can be tasty and hearty enough to constitute a full meal, but humble enough to fade into the background and let its teammates shine. It’s the Yogi Berra of food.
Seinfield, always a keen observer of the human condition, understood soup’s greatness as well as its underappreciated role in the culinary tapestry. The show built an entire episode around the premise of being denied soup. “No soup for you!” More than 20 years later, The Soup Nazi’s memorable catchphrase remains as iconic as it is cruel. It may be the greatest line from the greatest sitcom of all time, and frankly, it’s not a coincidence that soup played a key role. It always does.
At Perrotti’s, we believe it’s high time that America sings soup’s long overdue praises. That’s why we’ll be celebrating #souptober all month long. Throughout October, we’ll be rolling out a fresh take on classic soups at our Far Hills and Basking Ridge locations. The first edition of the series will be Lentil Soup. It’s proprietary mixture of Umbrian Lentils, onion, celery, red pepper, green apple, garlic, potatoes, carrots, parsley, salt, and pepper. You can see a photo of the ingredients we got started with for our Lentil Soup at the top of the page. If you want to see the finished product, you’ll have to come into the shop.
Happy #souptober, everyone!