By Meridith Ford Goldman

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

It starts with a stock of some sort — perhaps vegetable, maybe chicken. Maybe a broth instead.

Then, a world of opportunity opens: add some vegetables. Add some meat — cook a chicken and add some noodles. Puree some carrots together with cream and add some spices.

Soup is one of the world’s oldest culinary legacies; one of the oldest forms of sustenance known to man. And while its realm includes cream to cabbage, it can be one of our simplest, and most pleasing, means of feeding ourselves.

“Soup is very calming,” said Jay Swift, chef and owner of 4th & Swift. “It defines comfort food.”

Swift can be counted among some of the city’s finest sauciers — he always includes a seasonal soup on his menu and considers the potable potage a “great way to start a meal.”

But the best way to start a soup, according to Swift, is with the finest seasonal ingredients. Soup is no longer the catch-all concoction of what was once to be thrown out — it’s a meal unto itself (as its reputation proves it has always been). And it can be served not just in winter months when we long for it most but, as Swift recommends, “every time of year.”

Swift likes to finish the butternut squash soup on his menu at his restaurant with roasted seeds from the squash, a dollop of maple-laced creme fraiche and a tiny drizzle of olive oil.

“Not a lot of ingredients go into my soups,” Swift said. “I really like the ingredients to speak for themselves.”

He’s not afraid to tweak, either, taking a good soup and making it even better. It’s something he highly recommends for those of us at home. “I’m constantly changing my recipes.”

The realm of soups moves from smooth to chunky with few lines of demarcation, as pointed out by food historian Alan Davidson in his “Oxford Companion to Food,” (Oxford University Press, 1999 and 2006) where he points out that soups “can stray easily ... into the realm of stews.” Or chowder. Or gazpacho. Bisque. Borscht.

A meal by any other name would smell — and taste — as sweet.

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4th & Swift’s Butternut Squash Soup

Hands-on: 30 minutes Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes Serves 8 (8-ounce servings)

Soup is good every time of the year,” says 4th & Swift’s chef-owner Jay Swift. He shares his butternut squash recipe. Swift garnishes the soup at the restaurant with a small dollop of maple crema and a sprinkling of toasted pepitas (see recipes below).

3 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into roughly into 3-inch pieces (reserve the seeds; discard the peels)

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 carrots, roughly chopped

5 celery stalks, roughly chopped

1 sprig thyme

1 sprig sage

½ gallon chicken or vegetable stock or water

1 cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons Grade A maple syrup

Salt and white pepper, to taste

In a large stockpot, combine the squash, onion, carrots, celery, thyme and sage and cover, just barely, with stock or water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until squash is just cooked through and soft (will fall off a paring knife). Whisk in the cream and maple syrup and bring back to a simmer.

Carefully purée in a high-speed blender (fill blender only half way and use a low pulse at first, otherwise it may overflow). Strain through a fine sieve. Season with salt and white pepper.

Garnish with a small dollop of maple crema and a sprinkling of toasted pepitas (see recipes below).

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Toasted Pepitas (pumpkin or butternut squash seeds)

Hands-on: 30 minutes Total time: 30 minutes, plus overnight soaking Serves: 8

Chef-owner Jay Swift garnishes his butternut squash soup with the squash seeds. Short on time, I substitiuted toasted pignoli.

For one cup of seeds: dissolve 5 tablespoons salt in 1 cup of water. Soak the seeds in the solution overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Drain the seeds and allow them to dry for at least 20 minutes. Toast in a shallow sheet pan until dried and crunchy.

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Maple Crema

Hands-on: 10 minutes Total time: 10 minutes Serves: 8

Swift adds this inventive, sophisticated — and easy — garnish for a tangy-sweet touch.

½ cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon creme fraiche or sour cream

1 tablespoon Grade A maple syrup

In a small bowl, combine the heavy cream, creme fraiche or sour cream and maple syrup and whisk to a stiff peak.

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Old-fashioned Vegetable Soup

Hands-on: 25 minutes Total time: 3 hours Serves 10

Nothing warms cold feet and hands better than a bowl of hearty vegetable soup. Add chicken or beef if you’re looking for a something more substantial; otherwise, it’s a veggie-lover’s delight. Unless you’re feeding a crowd, there’s plenty left for more the next day.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups vegetable broth

3 tablespoons vegetable base or two vegetable bouillon cubes

3 cups water

1 large (28 ounces) can whole tomatoes

3 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch slices

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon garam masala spice mixture (available at most supermarkets)

Salt and pepper to taste


Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot; add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Add the vegetable broth, vegetable base and water. Add the tomatoes, mashing them with a wooden spoon so that they are no longer whole, but in chunks, keeping the liquid. Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, garam masala, and salt and pepper. Cover and cook for about 2 ½ hours, stirring occasionally and tasting and adding seasoning as needed.

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Tortilla Soup with Beans

Hands-on time: 15 minutes Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes Serves 6

This soup is an easy recipe inspired by one I found on About.com, and serves up fresh flavor with cilantro and chilies. Make it a meal with warm corn bread or fried tortilla strips.

1/4 cup cilantro (about ½ bunch)

3 garlic cloves

1 small onion

1 small can of green chilies

1 carrot, thinly sliced

1 (14.5 ounce) can tomatoes

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 cup canned red beans

1/2 cup canned pinto beans

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

Corn tortillas (about 10) cut into thin strips

Vegetable oil for frying tortillas

6 tablespoons sour cream, if desired

In a blender or food processor, puree together the cilantro (reserve a bit for garnish, if desired), garlic, onion, chilies, carrot and tomatoes. In a large pot, heat the broth on low heat and add the pureed mixture. Add the beans, cumin and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer about one hour.

Before serving, fry the tortillas in oil until crisp; drain well. Garnish the soup in bowls with the sour cream, tortillas and minced cilantro, if desired.