Savor a Steaming Bowl at New England Soup Factory
Reviews
by Amanda Tombino '20
The New England Soup Factory is a little hole in the wall restaurant situated conveniently in downtown Salem, at 140 Washington Street. It is unlike any other restaurant in the area in that it serves mainly soups (they do, however, sell some salads, sandwiches, chips and cookies).
I am a soup lover! It had been hard for me to find a place that specialized in soups before I found this place, and I frequent it often!
Their specialty is homemade soups made from scratch and delivered fresh daily. The soups range from triple strength chicken vegetable, clam and corn chowder, to the more adventurous crab and curried coconut, and Greek orzo lemon and chicken. Their menu offerings change frequently and keep guests satisfied with new and delicious recipes. Yet their remains the staples-the go-to’s.
Something magical happens when you walk into the Soup Factory -- the air is warm and humid, and the windows are dripping with condensation. The scents of at least a dozen different soups all add to the medicinal qualities of this place. After classes it is not unlike me to head on over to the Soup Factory during my lunch break and savor a bowl of hot soup (or chilled gazpacho in the summer). A bowl of soup is especially comforting on these cold New England days when the snow and wind have chilled me to the bone.
A large menu board hangs from the back wall full of soup descriptions and a handy little “lingo” key for the ingredients they contain. The New England Soup Factory is a great place to eat because they are allergen, and dietary restriction friendly. Some of the lingo include GF (gluten-free), Vv (vegan), V (vegetarian), Nd (non-dairy) and Fwc (finished with cream), etc. Personally, having some gluten-free and dairy-free options is especially appealing to me. Allergies are on the rise these days and the people at the Soup Factory get it and make it effortless to choose the perfect soup.
The prices are student friendly, the food is great, and the staff is amazing. They’ll even let you sample several soups until you find the one you want to indulge in. Each bowl of soup is served with crackers or noodles (or none if you’re GF like me).
Since stumbling upon this gem, I’ve wanted to shout it from the rooftops – for now Red Skies is my mic.. The Soup Factory is a must try. They won’t disappoint.