Sip and slurp for good at Souper Bowl 2024.
Dear broth buffs and consommé connoisseurs: We have good news and not-so-good news. The not-so-good news is that spring is right around the corner, which means it’s almost time to retire your ladle and bid farewell to soup season. The silver lining is that Blue Ghost Brewing Company is once again hosting its annual Souper Bowl. Slated for Saturday, Feb. 17, the “souper-liscious” event invites a dozen home chefs to prepare their most brilliant bisques and crowd-pleasing chowders for judging. According to event organizer Jeremy Weber, judges will evaluate taste as well as soup choice. “The soup should be familiar and comforting, like chicken noodle or tomato bisque,” he explains. “Or, it should be something that entices the audience to step out of their comfort zones and onto a journey of foreign flavors.” For example, last year’s winner was chicken khao soi noodle soup — a rich coconut curry made with aromatics like ginger, garlic, and cilantro. Other stand-out soups since the inaugural Souper Bowl in 2017 have included sweet potato roasted corn chowder, Indian mulligatawny, and even a lasagna-type stew. “We’ve certainly seen several unique and creative soups,” says Weber. “[But] even those that are widely recognized as ‘traditional’ soups, such as French onion and Italian wedding, have been out of this world.”
Souper Bowl 2024 happens Saturday, Feb. 17, 1-4pm at Blue Ghost Brewing Company (125 Underwood Rd., Fletcher). General admission is $15. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to The Free Clinics (841 Case St., Hendersonville, thefreeclinics.org), a nonprofit organization that provides free medical and behavioral healthcare for low-income, uninsured residents of Hendersonville and Polk counties. To learn more visit, blueghostbrewing.com.
