Ukrainian soupmakers set up shop in Warsaw

It’s so delicious that you can even eat the plate. Most of the time, that’s only a turn of phrase. But in this cafe, those words are actually true. The soup here is served in an edible bread bowl. This trend started gaining popularity in Ukraine years ago. Now, edible soup bowls can be found in Norway, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland.

"The rhythm of Warsaw is that it’s the capital. Everyone’s running, everyone’s in a hurry, and everyone wants to eat. Our soups are healthy, and they’re cheap too. That’s why it’s very comfortable for everyone. You can buy a bowl, eat the soup and then eat the bowl, getting completely full in the process," says Tamara Obelevich, District Manager of Soup Culture in Warsaw.

The menu changes according to taste and season. In total, there are about 40 different types of soup, all of which are vegetarian. Tomato soup, cheese soup, pea, pumpkin, even apple-carrot soup. In summer, cold soups are popular, such as gazpacho and okroshka.

"My favorite soup is the mushroom soup. I always buy it when it’s on the menu. It tastes like the one my grandmother used to make when I was a kid," says a customer of the shop.

Ukrainian-owned soup shop, fittingly named Soup Culture, doesn’t use preservatives or flavor enhancers — colors and scents are added using measured spices. The equipment for making the bread bowls was created by the founders themselves, and are patented.

The soup bowls are made out of dough in a special press. The whole process takes only four minutes. Soup Culture plans to expand its menu of soups and to win the hearts of soup lovers the world over.