Soup and Bread at The Hideout

I discovered Soup and Bread via the Chicagoist and had to try it last winter. We were thrilled! Delicious soups, including one of the best beer cheese soups I’ve ever had, great company, awesome breads, and best of all, a great cause. Can’t wait to attend several times this year! Job well done; the organizers should feel very proud, as should those who contribute their soups and breads!

I just discovered Soup and Bread at the end of this season and am so bummed that I am moving this summer and will miss out on next year’s season! This event is a hidden treasure in Chicago winter — for whatever you can afford to donate, you can taste your way through local volunteer and celebrity chefs’ soups each week with the proceeds benefitting a selected charity. Each person makes a soup, brings a few crockpots full, and stands near their pot ready to share their ingredients, answer questions about flavors, and serve you up a hot bowl of soup from their pot. Everyone I’ve met at the event has been so friendly and half the fun is talking to each of the chefs about their creations.
I discovered this event in early March and went back every Wednesday until the end of the season (the third week in March). It was fun to try so many different soups — kale apple with curried yogurt, a brisket chili made by Hot Doug, corn chowder, roasted tomato and basil, taco soup, a tomato and pasta greek soup… the list goes on! Each one was unique and I loved getting to try so many without the work of making all of them at home!
The end of the season celebration was extra special — featuring pies donated from Hoosier Mama, pizzas donated from Piece (to celebrate Hot Doug being the celebrity chef, his featured Piece pizza was served), along with great soups and a packed house!
Highly recommend getting there between 5:30−6pm if you want to try all of the soups each week and get some of the donated bread. The crowd starts forming around 6pm!

This is something special!
Weekly event on Wednesdays, January-​April from 5:30 — 8:00 at the Hideout. People make soup and you can eat it for free! Donations for local food pantries are encouraged. And they always have at least one vegetarian option. Great people, cause, food and atmosphere!
There is a cook book with 2009’s recipes for sale and many soup recipes on the event’s blog.

Soup and Bread is a project that started last winter by a bartender from the Hideout. Different chefs and people that like to cook (like me!) make different soups and bring them to the Hideout once a week in the winter. There are usually 4 or 5 soups every week, along with bread donated from a bakery. Every Soup and Bread is free, but is also a fundraiser for the Greater Chicago Food Depository. (A fantastic idea, I might add.)
I was lucky enough to bring a soup last winter, Pasta e Fagioli, and place it along side some very well known chefs in Chicago. It was a great experience to try different soups and just enjoy an evening that was laid back and simple. I encourage everyone to go to at least one Soup and Bread this winter. Besides, it’s for a good cause!