Orange You Glad I Made Soup

Apparently I now have two confirmed issues as a human being. The first one is obvious to anyone who has ever been in a boat with me, near a boat with me, within eye-shot of my credit card statement. I buy way too many fishing lures and fishing-related things in general. Is it soup related? Honestly yes, because I fish, eat, and soup in a never-ending cycle.

The second issue is newer, but becoming just as obvious. I seem to have to make soup way too often and way too much when I make it. I do not know when this became my personality, but here we are. Heading into the long Thanksgiving weekend, I had the looming responsibility of bringing a Soup Club creation for Tuesday, December 2nd. With great power comes great stress. What to make, when to make it, what flavor profile, what risk factor, blah blah blah.

I spent the weekend in Ludington. Not fishing this time, but souping. Surgeon Jenn and I had planned a little Soup and Sour Dough Night for some Ludington locals. Honestly, what better way to test a new soup idea than to force innocent people to eat your experiments. Jenn had three loaves of dough ready to go. She cold proofs the stuff because TikTok told her to, and apparently TikTok is now the boss of baking strategies. The bread baked beautifully and we made two soups from the classic category: Riveting Salmon Cioppino and Leeky Sneaky Potato. Both turned out freakin perfect. The soup dinner was excellent and I ate three bowls with no self-control.

Saturday morning came quickly and there was a weird anxious buzz in the air. This was the day we were attempting the first ever orange soup. The inspiration came from Barry, also known as THE Grand Master B. The star ingredient was probably the riskiest Soup Club decision of all time. Cantaloupe. It is orange and sweet and honestly sounds like a dare. Who puts cantaloupe in soup? Apparently I do.

Jenn and I spent the morning chopping and roasting veggies trying to land the perfect flavor combo. While the soup simmered, we walked around town and ended up at Trail’s End Baking Co. That is where we met a man who may or may not have been a self-proclaimed Soup Master. He offered us a sample of their sauerkraut soup, which was delicious and actually inspired me. Charlie, I need some of your homemade kraut because this stuff was store-bought. The conversation was going great and then it took a strange turn no one could explain, so we made a smooth exit. Probably best!

Showtime was 3:30 pm. The soup flight and bread flight were ready. Our lineup was a strong one: me, Jenn, Riley, Jordan, Nick, Alison, Charlie Daniels, Julie (CD’s wife), Big Fish Brad and his girlfriend Tara, and the fish whisperer himself, Logan. I did invite TGMB but he clearly had something more important than soup on his schedule.

Lots of great compliments rolled in and the scoring began. There were 10s and 9s and enthusiastic comments all around. I did not track the numbers because that is for Soup Club day, but the vibe was happy. Except maybe Logan. I could not get a good read on him. He may have loved it or hated it or simply eaten it without emotion. I did get a hot tip that I need to replace the line on four of my fishing reels, so he must have appreciated something. Probably the sour dough. If we are being honest, Jenn’s bread was the star of the night. It got multiple profane reviews like “This bread is so f**ing good” and “Holy s*ht, best bread ever.”

A few other highlights. Julie took a bowl of orange soup…looked skeptical (as would I), then came back for seconds! Charlie literally busted out of the Ludington Hospital to make this feast! Big Fish Brad did a great job finishing off the spit hit of Jack and assorted beers while trying to talk us into proper skincare routines. We attempted to let Nick and Alison win at Heads Up, but they self-destructed spectacularly.

Now I need to mentally prepare for Tuesday’s Soup Club showdown. I have a 3-4 hour drive ahead with nothing but complete silence and the open road to think about my next big and probably risky soup. Then I have to crank out some UWGB school work before the calendar flips to December. Check back Tuesday for the official Soup Club results because this orange soup has a date with destiny.

Update 12/2/2025: I suppose it does not matter how confident you feel when you know you have something souper special. On Soup Club day there is always that extra layer of anxiety. Are the members going to think “10” or “2”? And honestly, who puts cantaloupe in soup? As noon approached, I just let Jesus take the wheel and hoped for the best.

Soup Club:

• Adam and Mike: no show. Absolute history was being made today and you two missed it.

• Kevin: a solid 9.2. He was the first person to fill his bowl, and by fill I mean to the rim, and the first person done. Respect.

• Conlon: anytime Conlon even thinks about a second bowl, you know you did something right. Thanks for the 9.0 man.

• Tam: added some salt and hot honey, then hit me with an 8.8. I will take it all day long.

• Andy: added salt and gave me an 8.2. Huh? Dude, the crispy carrots were worth an 8.2 by themselves.

That puts the official Soup Club score at 8.8. I am very happy with that result.

We made extra and handed out samples to others because the rest of the world deserves orange soup too:

• Ashley: “This is the best yet. They keep getting better every week.” Then a 9.0. I appreciate the enthusiasm.

• Felton: “It was really good, perfect just like you served it.” Then a rare Felton vegetarian-friendly 8.5. That is like a 10 in Felton terms.

• Chris: lots of smiles, seemed legitimately humbled by the deliciousness, and he came in hot with a 9.5. Thank you sir.

• Nick: said something about turning orange as a kid from too many carrots, then slapped me with a 9.0. You the man.

• Hunter: last week he said “This is the best soup ever.” This week he said, “This is the best soup ever.” Then he stood up, slapped his fist on the desk, stared at me like a man possessed, and yelled “10.0.” That one shook the room.

And a very respectable unofficial 9.2 from the Campbell’s Crowd. Much appreciated.

Another Soup Club week in the books. Kevin is up next week and something about Justy and New Jersey has moved the meeting to noon on Monday. Until then people, stay souper.

12/4/25 Update: Some not so good news and some great news. Let us rip off the bad stuff first so we can move on with our lives.

The youths, Ruby and Oliver, were not impressed with the souper expensive and delicious carrot chips. Ruby said they “needed salt” and Oliver scored them a whoppin “nothing” out of 10. Zero? In my defense, I did not make them. I just bought them and put them in a bowl like a responsible adult. Kids are brutal.

As for the actual soup, Justy has been raving about it, and she is not exactly easy to please unless the soup is blended into baby food consistency. Her best quote of the day was “Soupppper good.” If I am interpreting that correctly, it is a solid 10. Thank you, Justy. I will treasure that forever. A new pic has been added of Justy enjoying the Orange Soup, proving she is both alive and approving.