It is a soup day.  The thermometer reads -24 with the wind chill.  Like many Canadians, I am tired of the cold weather and I am tired of complaining about it.  Soup will somehow make it better.

Soup makes a lot of things better.  It is comforting, happy, and delicious.  However, for me, one of the best things about soup is that you start with nothing but you end up with something really special.  Because you don't need a recipe to make soup!  On the contrary, in my experience, the best soups are not made using a recipe.  The best soups evolve organically.

There is comfort in that, I think.  Like a metaphor for hope, soup starts with nothing but the most humble of ingredients - in my kitchen, an onion, some bones, and water - and with some time, care, and a little help from other ingredients that you have on hand, something wonderful can happen. 

To my delight, I learned last week, as I happened upon the story of the Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers on CBC radio, that there are people who have taken this idea of soup as a metaphor for hope to an inspiring level.  The following is straight from their website. http://www.soupsisters.org

"Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers is a non-profit charitable social enterprise dedicated to providing comfort to women, children and youth through the making, sharing and donating of soup.


The concept is simple. Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers are year-round programs where participants pay a $50 registration fee to participate in a soup-making event at a local professional kitchen under the guidance of a chef facilitator. Each event produces approximately 150-200 servings of nourishing soup that are delivered fresh to a local shelter. Events are social evenings with lively conversation, chopping, laughter and warm kitchen camaraderie that culminate in a simple, sit-down supper of soup, salad, bread and wine for all participants.

Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers was founded in 2009 by Calgarian Sharon Hapton who had a very simple belief in the power of soup as a nurturing and nourishing gesture that could make a tangible difference. Hapton believed that two of societies most prevalent issues, domestic abuse and youth homelessness would benefit from the care and warmth that comes in a bowl of soup. A powerful message that says 'we care' is now being delivered to over 20 residential shelters across the country through home-made delicious soup made with the finest ingredients.

Hundreds of community people are coming together across the country to produce over 8000 servings of fresh and delicious soups for women, children and youth each month. Since March of 2009, over 100,000 containers of soup have been delivered to shelters from East to West, and there is a growing network of over 7500 Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers participants across the country."

Wow.  I encourage you to check this organization out.  It is a cold day, but there are warm and beautiful people making it better.

wishing you a warm day with the beauty only hope can bring,
hk