“Soup breathes reassurance, it offers consolation; after a weary day it promotes sociability… There is nothing like a bowl of hot soup, its wisp of aromatic steam teasing the nostrils into quivering anticipation.”
-Louis P. De Gouy, The Soup Book (1949)

Soup really is good food. M’m M’m Good, even. And one of the best places to get a hot bowl of soup in downtown Charleston is at a place primarily known for its frozen delicacies.

Ellen’s Ice Cream is a true Charleston gem. Just don’t let the name of the place fool you. Sure, they’ve got great ice cream (my favorite being the cinnamon espresso bean, a flavor unfortunately offered only as an occasional special), but the frequent aromas of curry and cumin signal the fact that other things are a-brewin’. Savory, comforting things.

With the Lovely Miss S by my side, and our good friend John tagging along, I recently stepped in to Ellen’s for a light lunch. The special soup du jour was a pureed carrot variety, bright orange in color with a subtle, yet sweet, fragrance. My companions were convinced and each decidedly ordered a serving.

As for me, I went with the previous day’s selection: Mexican Chicken Tortilla soup. A clear-broth base gave refuge to tender chunks of chicken (both white and dark meat), crisp kernels of sweet corn and random pieces of tomato complemented with cheese and strips of tortilla chips. Coupled with the knowledge that this soup was at least a day old and therefore possessing more concentrated, married flavors, I promptly placed my order.

The carrot soup consensus was mildly favorable. After adjusting the seasoning, primarily salt, Miss S and John both meandered their ways through the yellow-orange offering. The soup was garnished with what appeared to be spiced pepitas (or pumpkin seeds), but there were too few to really grasp their true identity. Upon finishing, however, they each noticeably perked up, apparently from the flood of nutrients rushing through their systems.

My tortilla soup, on the other hand, was simply scrumptious. How could it not be with that list of ingredients? It was everything a soup should be: comforting and warming with well-balanced textures and seasonings. My lunch mates were able to converse while eating their soup; I was out of commission until my spoon scraped bowl’s bottom. I wasn’t trying to be rude… it was just really good soup!

Luckily it only takes about five minutes to blow through a bowl of soup, so there was plenty of time to talk. What did we talk about, you ask? Would you believe, ice cream?

IF YOU GO: Ellen’s Ice Cream, 225 Capitol Street, Charleston, W.Va., (304) 343-6488

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