You know those rare Melbourne days where despite being mid-winter you happen upon an afternoon of sunshine, where the crisp breeze is a welcome accompaniment to its warm glow? On those days, anyone who knows anything about Melbourne should head to Carlton. There’s something about the suburb- renown as one of Melbourne’s finest for foodies – and its tree lined streets, crumbly old terraces and cobblestone alleyways -that flirts brilliantly with this time of year. And nothing goes hand in hand with bare trees and stiff breezes than a steaming hot bowl of homemade soup, that’s where Soul Soup Café comes in.
Positioned right on the city’s fringe, so close to the CBD, yet safe within the confines of casual Carlton, Soul Soup is nestled amongst residential zones and university-owned terraces. You can retreat from the street out back in a paved courtyard, or nestle down by a gas fire inside, but you’ll best enjoy the warmth of this café’s selection of soups and fair trade organic coffees observing gorgeous Cardigan Street from the front porch.
A thick creamy cauliflower and parmesan soup arrives, the generous bowl littered with a variety of breads and butters. Cauliflower has long been broccoli’s flavourless nemesis but this dense snowy white concoction changes all that. Were it not for a smattering of cracked pepper, you’d kind of want to bury your face in it’s criminally creamy consistency and the flavor is simply spectacular. When accompanied with a chorizo and chickpea soup you have the perfect combination of flavours, with the spices just prominent enough to get the nose running and the taste buds energized. Soul Soup choose to blend the chorizo and chickpeas into a fine grain to avoid any surprise lumps and it’s a welcome gesture for lazy Sunday lunches. Minimum effort for maximum taste. I like it.
The tradesmen and uni folk that seem to populate Soul Soup seem to occasionally gravitate towards fresh sandwiches and pastries, but having satisfied a raging lunchtime appetite courtesy of hearty homemade soup, served with a smile for under $7 a bowl, take your cues from this café’s name and opt for a liquid lunch.
