A SOUPer Food Kitchen
Chef Heidi Krahling Combats Hunger, One Delicious Bowl at a Time
The phrase it takes a village is often overused, but in the case of restaurateur Heidi Krahling’s SOUPer Food Kitchen it couldn’t be more apt. For almost two years, Krahling has been creating innovative soup recipes from surplus ingredients that have been rescued by ExtraFood.org. Community Action Marin (CAM) generously donates space in their commercial kitchen where Chef Krahling and a team of volunteers chop, prep, cook and portion as many as 300 servings of soup weekly that is distributed by Extra-Food coordinators to recipients throughout the county.
“I must say, even though the project takes more time than I anticipated, I couldn’t love it more!” says Krahling, who along with her husband, Mark, is intimately involved with the process from start to finish. Every batch of soup (600 servings—prepared in a 60-gallon kettle) requires 20–25 pounds of onions. Volunteers know that prep-ping onions is always the first item on the prep list!
Krahling describes never knowing what will be rescued from farmers’ markets each week as both exciting and daunting. She also admits to becoming a better scrambler. Unsurprisingly, this accomplished chef who has honed her craft for over 40 years (28 as chef and co-owner of Insalata’s in San Anselmo) relies on her intimate knowledge of ingredients. She knows that flavor profiles like coconut milk and curry or Mediterranean spices including cumin, paprika and coriander can enliven even the blandest vegetable. She uses miso to add bold umami flavor. Parmesan rinds, roasted garlic, toasted ground fennel seeds or an herbaceous dollop of pesto are all tricks of her trade that she puts to good use to elevate these nourishing soups.
Before Krahling made her first batch she promised she would never make “stone soup” for her community, instead adding the seasonings that contribute to the same level of flavor she serves at her restaurant. For anyone who has sampled her delicious creations it is safe to say that she has kept her promise. Contact ExtraFood.org to get involved. – Tanya Henry
