Soup War
The spices, consistency, flavors and most importantly the love — are what makes these soups tied for my favorites.
Growing up, I always heard the repetitive stories of my grandma’s late husband, whom she loved entirely. He was a born-and-bred Louisiana man. And for those of you who may be unfamiliar with the culture between Houston, Texas and Louisiana, they’re basically cousins. Because of this, it’s only right that the first contender is …GUMBO!
Just the thought of gumbo, is making my mouth water. A seafood gumbo consists of ingredients that my dad has kept a secret from me. Some of it includes things like crab legs, mussels, shrimp, crab, and andouille sausage. It’s normally served over rice of your choosing. The seasonings are a mystery to me still because my dad has yet to show me.
Aside from the addicting flavors, I love this soup because of the memories that are attached with it. I’ve mentioned that my dad makes it and it’s become his thing over the years for our family. Now that I’m older and live out-of-state, when I’m home visiting, if my dad is making gumbo, I have to be there. It’s an unsaid rule, but all of my siblings know we have to be there.
The second contender is one more dear to my heart and that is menudo. It’s a Mexican soup that is a tradition in my family. It’s the meal on everyone’s plate, every Sunday morning. Not only is this soup a family-favorite, but its beyond delicious; when it’s made right of course.
The ingredients include things like hominy, beef tripe and peppers. The toppings range based on your choosing, but my favorites are lime, cilantro and avocado.
One of my favorite memories of menudo, is when I spent a day at my grandma’s church making it with her. She loved that I was helping her but more so that I was spending my day with her.
Both of the soups are the most tasteful that I’ve had and they remind me of home and my family.
