Bite Club: Highlighting local food and the people behind every bite
See our latest food reviews across North Central Ohio below. Bite Club is brought to you by Dan Lew Exchange.
It’s soup season! If you were a soup, which one would you be?
Take our quiz to find out!
What Soup Are You?
10 questions. 12 possible soups. Let’s see what’s going in your bowl.
Start QuizBite Club is a Source Media food column serving up stories worth savoring: local food and the people behind every bite, across our four counties.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Eli Hodapp, CC BY 2.0; jeffreyw, CC BY 2.0; Marie, CC BY-SA 2.0
Let’s see what’s in your bowl…
You got…
The One Everybody Calls
Chicken Noodle
You’re the first text when something goes sideways. You don’t need a fancy bowl to make someone feel better, just a pot on the stove and an hour. People trust your taste because it’s never about showing off.
Why this is your soup
Your answers kept landing on the familiar: a classic you grew up with, a bowl that makes things feel okay, the friend who shows up. Chicken noodle is the soup people have been making for each other forever, and it fits someone who takes care of people without making a big deal about it.
How everyone else did
Share your soup
Press and hold the image to save it, or right-click and choose “Save image”.
Posting to Instagram?
Instagram doesn’t let websites post for you, so it takes two steps:
- Tap “Save story image.” On most phones this opens your share menu, where you can pick Instagram directly or save the image to your photos.
- In Instagram, start a new Story and choose the image from your camera roll. Add a link sticker with your result link if you like.
Make it tonight
Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
A straightforward pot of chicken noodle: vegetables softened in butter, chicken simmered right in the broth, and egg noodles added at the end.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook until softened, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook 1 minute.
- Add the broth, bay leaf and chicken. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, with no pink inside and 165 F at the thickest part, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Move the chicken to a cutting board and shred it with two forks.
- Add the noodles to the pot and cook according to the package, usually 7 to 8 minutes.
- Return the chicken, stir in the parsley and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
Notes
Leftovers: the pasta keeps soaking up broth and turns soft. If you’re making this ahead or expect leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl, then ladle the hot soup over it.
Bite Club is a Source Media food column serving up stories worth savoring: local food and the people behind every bite, across our four counties.
You got…
The All-In
Loaded Baked Potato
You don’t do halfway. If there’s a topping bar, you’re using all of it. You like food that’s generous, a little messy and gone too fast, and you’d rather have leftovers than run out.
Why this is your soup
You picked thick and loaded over light and brothy, and you made it clear a soup should fill you up. Loaded baked potato soup is basically a baked potato with everything on it, in a bowl. It’s for someone who goes back for seconds without thinking twice.
How everyone else did
Share your soup
Press and hold the image to save it, or right-click and choose “Save image”.
Posting to Instagram?
Instagram doesn’t let websites post for you, so it takes two steps:
- Tap “Save story image.” On most phones this opens your share menu, where you can pick Instagram directly or save the image to your photos.
- In Instagram, start a new Story and choose the image from your camera roll. Add a link sticker with your result link if you like.
Make it tonight
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Russet potatoes simmered until soft, partly mashed for texture, then finished with cheddar, sour cream, bacon and green onions.
Ingredients
For the soup
For serving
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crisp. Move it to a paper towel and leave about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot.
- Add the onion and cook 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, then stir in the flour and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes so the raw flour taste cooks out.
- Slowly whisk in the broth, then the milk. Add the potatoes and bring to a gentle boil.
- Simmer until the potatoes are very tender and break apart when pressed with a spoon, 12 to 18 minutes. Mash about half of them in the pot for a thick, chunky texture.
- Take the pot off the heat and let it stop bubbling. Stir in the sour cream, then the 1 cup of cheddar a handful at a time until melted. Cheese added to boiling soup can turn grainy. Season with salt and pepper.
- Top each bowl with the bacon, the remaining cheddar and green onions.
Bite Club is a Source Media food column serving up stories worth savoring: local food and the people behind every bite, across our four counties.
You got…
The Best of Both
Italian Zuppa
You want the cream and the kale. You’ll eat your greens if there’s sausage nearby, and you see no contradiction there. You can be talked into almost anything, as long as it sounds good.
Why this is your soup
Your answers didn’t sit at one extreme. You like something filling, but you also want vegetables and a little heat in the mix. Italian zuppa gets there with sausage, potatoes and kale in a creamy broth, so you get comfort and something green in the same spoonful.
How everyone else did
Share your soup
Press and hold the image to save it, or right-click and choose “Save image”.
Posting to Instagram?
Instagram doesn’t let websites post for you, so it takes two steps:
- Tap “Save story image.” On most phones this opens your share menu, where you can pick Instagram directly or save the image to your photos.
- In Instagram, start a new Story and choose the image from your camera roll. Add a link sticker with your result link if you like.
Make it tonight
Italian Zuppa with Sausage, Potatoes and Kale
A creamy, brothy soup in the style of zuppa toscana: browned Italian sausage, thin-sliced potatoes and kale, finished with cream.
Ingredients
For serving
Instructions
- Brown the sausage (and bacon, if using) in a large pot over medium-high heat, breaking it up, until no pink remains, about 8 minutes. Spoon off most of the fat.
- Add the onion and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute.
- Add the broth, water and potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in the kale and cook until wilted, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low, stir in the cream and warm through without letting it boil, which can make the cream separate. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve with grated Parmesan.
Bite Club is a Source Media food column serving up stories worth savoring: local food and the people behind every bite, across our four counties.
You got…
The Sunday Dinner
Lasagna Soup
You’re the reason people show up hungry. You like big flavors, a full table and food that tastes like somebody’s been cooking all afternoon. You’d rather make too much than worry about running out.
Why this is your soup
Your answers point to a full house and a big pot. You like it cheesy, you like it filling, and you’d rather feed a crowd than eat alone. Lasagna soup has everything people love about the casserole, with a lot less assembly, so you can spend more time at the table.
How everyone else did
Share your soup
Press and hold the image to save it, or right-click and choose “Save image”.
Posting to Instagram?
Instagram doesn’t let websites post for you, so it takes two steps:
- Tap “Save story image.” On most phones this opens your share menu, where you can pick Instagram directly or save the image to your photos.
- In Instagram, start a new Story and choose the image from your camera roll. Add a link sticker with your result link if you like.
Make it tonight
Lasagna Soup
Italian sausage, tomatoes and broken lasagna noodles in one pot, topped with a spoonful of ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan.
Ingredients
For the soup
For the cheese topping
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage, breaking it up, until no pink remains, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the onion and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes and cook 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and broth and simmer 10 minutes.
- Add the noodles and simmer, stirring often so they don’t stick, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir together the ricotta, mozzarella and half the Parmesan.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with a spoonful of the cheese mixture, and finish with the rest of the Parmesan and the herbs.
Notes
Leftovers: the pasta keeps soaking up broth and turns soft. If you’re making this ahead or expect leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl, then ladle the hot soup over it.
Bite Club is a Source Media food column serving up stories worth savoring: local food and the people behind every bite, across our four counties.
You got…
The Game Day Captain
Buffalo Chicken
You like your food loud: tangy, spicy, cheesy and best eaten with a crowd yelling at a TV. You’re game for anything that comes with ranch or blue cheese, and you’ll happily argue about which one.
Why this is your soup
You told us you like heat, you like cheese, and you like a crowd. Buffalo chicken soup takes everything good about wings night and puts it in a bowl that is creamy, cheesy and hot enough to notice. It works best with friends around, which suits you fine.
How everyone else did
Share your soup
Press and hold the image to save it, or right-click and choose “Save image”.
Posting to Instagram?
Instagram doesn’t let websites post for you, so it takes two steps:
- Tap “Save story image.” On most phones this opens your share menu, where you can pick Instagram directly or save the image to your photos.
- In Instagram, start a new Story and choose the image from your camera roll. Add a link sticker with your result link if you like.
Make it tonight
Buffalo Chicken Soup
A creamy, cheesy soup with shredded chicken and buffalo-style hot sauce. Blue cheese or ranch on top is up to you.
Ingredients
For serving
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook until softened, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes so the raw flour taste cooks out.
- Slowly whisk in the broth, then the milk. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low so the soup is steaming but not bubbling. Stir in the cream cheese until melted, then the shredded cheese a handful at a time. Don’t let it boil from here on, or the cheese can turn grainy.
- Stir in the chicken and hot sauce and heat until steaming hot all the way through, about 5 minutes. Taste and add more hot sauce if you want it hotter.
- Serve topped with blue cheese or ranch, green onions and celery leaves.
Bite Club is a Source Media food column serving up stories worth savoring: local food and the people behind every bite, across our four counties.
You got…
The Road Tripper
Chicken Tortilla
You’ll pull off the highway for a place with a hand-painted sign. Lime, chiles, crunchy strips on top: you like a bowl with a lot going on and a story behind it.
Why this is your soup
You leaned toward new places, new flavors and a little heat with a purpose. Chicken tortilla soup is bright, brothy and built for toppings, with lime, chiles, avocado and something crunchy, so no two bowls are quite the same. It’s a good fit for someone who’d rather explore than order the usual.
How everyone else did
Share your soup
Press and hold the image to save it, or right-click and choose “Save image”.
Posting to Instagram?
Instagram doesn’t let websites post for you, so it takes two steps:
- Tap “Save story image.” On most phones this opens your share menu, where you can pick Instagram directly or save the image to your photos.
- In Instagram, start a new Story and choose the image from your camera roll. Add a link sticker with your result link if you like.
Make it tonight
Chicken Tortilla Soup
A brothy, tomato-based soup with chiles, black beans and corn, finished with lime and plenty of toppings.
Ingredients
For serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion and jalapeno until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin, chili powder and oregano and cook 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes, green chiles, broth and chicken. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, with no pink inside and 165 F at the thickest part, about 20 minutes.
- Move the chicken to a cutting board, shred it and return it to the pot.
- Add the black beans and corn and simmer 5 minutes, just to heat through.
- Stir in the lime juice and cilantro and season with salt. Serve with the toppings.
Notes
Jalapeno heat varies a lot from pepper to pepper. Wear gloves or wash your hands right after handling them, and keep your hands away from your eyes.
Bite Club is a Source Media food column serving up stories worth savoring: local food and the people behind every bite, across our four counties.
You got…
The Homebody
Broccoli and Cheese
Your ideal evening is a bowl of something cheesy, your comfiest clothes and absolutely no plans. You know exactly what you like, and a little green in the bowl counts as balance.
Why this is your soup
Your answers said creamy, cheesy, familiar and preferably at home. Broccoli cheese soup is the bowl you can count on: smooth, rich and just green enough to feel like a reasonable dinner. It’s for someone who doesn’t need a reason to stay in.
How everyone else did
Share your soup
Press and hold the image to save it, or right-click and choose “Save image”.
Posting to Instagram?
Instagram doesn’t let websites post for you, so it takes two steps:
- Tap “Save story image.” On most phones this opens your share menu, where you can pick Instagram directly or save the image to your photos.
- In Instagram, start a new Story and choose the image from your camera roll. Add a link sticker with your result link if you like.
Make it tonight
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Broccoli and carrot simmered in a creamy base, then finished with plenty of sharp cheddar.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes so the raw flour taste cooks out.
- Slowly whisk in the broth, then the milk, and bring to a simmer.
- Add the broccoli and carrot and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. For a smoother soup, blend part of it with an immersion blender.
- Reduce the heat to low, or take the pot off the burner, and stir in the cheddar a handful at a time until melted. Don’t let it boil, or the cheese can turn grainy and oily.
- Stir in the dry mustard, if using, and season with salt and pepper.
Notes
Cheese shredded from a block usually melts more smoothly than pre-shredded.
Bite Club is a Source Media food column serving up stories worth savoring: local food and the people behind every bite, across our four counties.
You got…
The Keeper of Traditions
Chicken Pot Pie
You remember who made what at every holiday. You love food that tastes like somebody’s grandmother taught it to them, and you’re probably the one who’ll pass it down.
Why this is your soup
You went for the classics, the cozy stuff and a soup hearty enough to be dinner. Chicken pot pie soup has everything from the filling, with chicken, vegetables and a creamy sauce, plus a flaky pastry top. It suits someone who values the dishes that get made the same way every year.
How everyone else did
Share your soup
Press and hold the image to save it, or right-click and choose “Save image”.
Posting to Instagram?
Instagram doesn’t let websites post for you, so it takes two steps:
- Tap “Save story image.” On most phones this opens your share menu, where you can pick Instagram directly or save the image to your photos.
- In Instagram, start a new Story and choose the image from your camera roll. Add a link sticker with your result link if you like.
Make it tonight
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
A creamy chicken and vegetable soup with potatoes and peas, served with squares of baked puff pastry on top.
Ingredients
For the pastry
For the soup
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400 F. Cut the puff pastry into 6 squares, set them on a lined baking sheet, brush with egg and bake until puffed and golden, 15 to 18 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrots and celery until softened, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes so the raw flour taste cooks out.
- Slowly whisk in the broth. Add the potatoes and simmer until tender when pierced with a fork, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the half-and-half, chicken and peas and heat through without boiling, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Ladle into bowls and top each with a pastry square.
Bite Club is a Source Media food column serving up stories worth savoring: local food and the people behind every bite, across our four counties.
You got…
The Treat Yourself
Creamy Sausage and Tortellini
You believe a Tuesday deserves a good dinner too. Cheese-filled pasta in a creamy broth isn’t a special occasion for you. It’s a reasonable response to a long day.
Why this is your soup
Your answers asked for cream, cheese and something filling, with no apologies. This soup has Italian sausage, cheese tortellini and a creamy tomato broth, which is about as indulgent as a weeknight gets. It’s for someone who knows what they like and sees no reason to wait for the weekend.
How everyone else did
Share your soup
Press and hold the image to save it, or right-click and choose “Save image”.
Posting to Instagram?
Instagram doesn’t let websites post for you, so it takes two steps:
- Tap “Save story image.” On most phones this opens your share menu, where you can pick Instagram directly or save the image to your photos.
- In Instagram, start a new Story and choose the image from your camera roll. Add a link sticker with your result link if you like.
Make it tonight
Creamy Sausage and Tortellini Soup
Italian sausage and cheese tortellini in a creamy tomato broth with spinach and Parmesan.
Ingredients
For serving
Instructions
- Brown the sausage in a large pot over medium-high heat, breaking it up, until no pink remains, 6 to 8 minutes. Spoon off excess fat.
- Add the onion and cook 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and tomato paste and cook 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes and broth and simmer 10 minutes.
- Add the tortellini and cook according to the package, usually 3 to 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the cream, spinach and Parmesan until the spinach wilts. Don’t let it boil once the cream is in. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve with more Parmesan.
Notes
Leftovers: the pasta keeps soaking up broth and turns soft. If you’re making this ahead or expect leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl, then ladle the hot soup over it.
Bite Club is a Source Media food column serving up stories worth savoring: local food and the people behind every bite, across our four counties.
You got…
The Quiet Romantic
Roasted Tomato Basil
You notice the small stuff: good bread, the right mug, the way the kitchen light looks at five o’clock. You’d rather have one simple thing done well than a table full of extras.
Why this is your soup
Your answers were about quiet nights, fresh flavors and making an ordinary day feel like a little more. Roasted tomato basil soup is simple on paper, but roasting the tomatoes first gives it real depth. Add a grilled cheese and it turns a regular evening into something worth slowing down for.
How everyone else did
Share your soup
Press and hold the image to save it, or right-click and choose “Save image”.
Posting to Instagram?
Instagram doesn’t let websites post for you, so it takes two steps:
- Tap “Save story image.” On most phones this opens your share menu, where you can pick Instagram directly or save the image to your photos.
- In Instagram, start a new Story and choose the image from your camera roll. Add a link sticker with your result link if you like.
Make it tonight
Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
Roma tomatoes, onion and garlic roasted until soft and browned, then blended with broth and fresh basil.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425 F. Toss the tomatoes, onion and garlic with the olive oil, salt and pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the tomatoes cut side up.
- Roast until the tomatoes are soft and browned at the edges, 40 to 45 minutes.
- Scrape everything, including the juices, into a large pot. Add the broth and simmer 10 minutes.
- Add the basil and blend until smooth with an immersion blender, or carefully in batches in a regular blender.
- Over low heat, stir in the cream, if using, without letting it boil. Taste, and add a little sugar or balsamic if the tomatoes are tart.
- Serve with a grilled cheese.
Bite Club is a Source Media food column serving up stories worth savoring: local food and the people behind every bite, across our four counties.
You got…
The Curveball
Jalapeño Corn Chowder
You like comfort food with a surprise in it. Sweet corn and a creamy broth, sure, but there had better be some heat coming up behind it. You keep people guessing, mostly in a good way.
Why this is your soup
You wanted creamy and comforting, but not boring. You’re fine with some heat and happy to try something a little different. Jalapeño corn chowder is sweet, smoky and creamy up front with a kick at the end, which sounds a lot like the way you answered.
How everyone else did
Share your soup
Press and hold the image to save it, or right-click and choose “Save image”.
Posting to Instagram?
Instagram doesn’t let websites post for you, so it takes two steps:
- Tap “Save story image.” On most phones this opens your share menu, where you can pick Instagram directly or save the image to your photos.
- In Instagram, start a new Story and choose the image from your camera roll. Add a link sticker with your result link if you like.
Make it tonight
Jalapeño Corn Chowder
A creamy chowder with corn, potatoes and jalapeño, finished with pepper Jack and bacon.
Ingredients
For serving
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crisp. Move it to a paper towel and leave about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot.
- Add the onion, celery and jalapenos and cook until soft, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and smoked paprika and cook 30 seconds.
- Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes so the raw flour taste cooks out, then slowly whisk in the broth.
- Add the potatoes and simmer 10 minutes. Add the corn and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 5 to 8 minutes more.
- For a thicker, silkier chowder, blend about 2 ladles of the soup with an immersion blender (or in a regular blender) and stir it back in before adding the dairy.
- Reduce the heat to low so the chowder isn’t bubbling. Stir in the half-and-half, then the cheese a handful at a time until melted. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Top each bowl with the bacon, green onions, cilantro and jalapeno.
Notes
Jalapeno heat varies a lot from pepper to pepper. Wear gloves or wash your hands right after handling them, and keep your hands away from your eyes.
Bite Club is a Source Media food column serving up stories worth savoring: local food and the people behind every bite, across our four counties.
You got…
The Crowd Feeder
Cowboy Stew
You cook like you expect the whole neighborhood to stop by. You like food that fills people up and sends them home happy, and bowls at your house get refilled without anyone asking.
Why this is your soup
Your answers kept coming back to protein, something filling and a house full of people. Cowboy stew covers all of it: beef, smoked sausage, beans, potatoes and corn in a smoky tomato broth with a little heat. It’s the pot you make when you’re not sure how many people are coming.
How everyone else did
Share your soup
Press and hold the image to save it, or right-click and choose “Save image”.
Posting to Instagram?
Instagram doesn’t let websites post for you, so it takes two steps:
- Tap “Save story image.” On most phones this opens your share menu, where you can pick Instagram directly or save the image to your photos.
- In Instagram, start a new Story and choose the image from your camera roll. Add a link sticker with your result link if you like.
Make it tonight
Cowboy Stew
Ground beef and smoked sausage with potatoes, beans, corn and tomatoes in a smoky, lightly spiced broth.
Ingredients
For serving
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, breaking it up, until no pink remains, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the sausage and brown it, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain off the excess fat before going on, or the stew will be greasy. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika and cumin and cook 1 minute.
- Add the potatoes, tomatoes, green chiles, broth and Worcestershire. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Stir in the beans and corn and simmer just until heated through, 5 to 7 minutes, so the beans stay whole.
- Taste before adding any salt: the sausage, canned tomatoes and chiles are already salty. Season with pepper, and salt only if needed.
- Serve with shredded cheddar and cornbread.
Notes
Made for a crowd: it doubles easily in a big stockpot (simmer a few minutes longer), and it’s even better the next day.
Bite Club is a Source Media food column serving up stories worth savoring: local food and the people behind every bite, across our four counties.
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