Who the hell even makes soup these days?
asks New York CitychefRussell Markus.
Its a good questionand one that begs an answer.
Photo: Courtesy of Russell Markus
Frightfully out of place in the minimal-chic store, behind it stood Chef Markus.
A recent Hot Soup pop-up dinner.
When he started his projectHot Souplast October, he had little understanding of how wildly popular it would become.
A recent Hot Soup pop-up dinner.
I wanted to be able to engage with every person that came, he says.
Community is Markuss modus operandi.
Someone can always have nicer plates, he says.
Russell Markus at a Hot Soup pop-up dinner.
Someone can always have nicer lighting.
Theres always going to be a sexier space to eat dinner in.
I wanted to remove all of that and [find] the simplest way to deliver something flavorful.
Photo: Courtesy of Russell Markus
Russell Markus at a Hot Soup pop-up dinner.
Its the least pretentious food you could give people, Markus says.
It’s just mush in a cup.
A Hot Soup pop-up dinner at Rita & Maria in Brooklyn.
Look at the cards that I’ve collected, has led to a sense of visual food fatigue.
Markus also notes the irony of his ingredients.
He frequents the Union Square Greenmarket to source whats in season, letting the market dictate his menu.
Photo: Courtesy of Russell Markus
Some of his soups can take up to three days to make.
It is then served with sourdough bread that Markus makes from scratch using a 13-year-old starter he inherited.
A Hot Soup pop-up dinner at Rita & Maria in Brooklyn.
Photo: Courtesy of Russell Markus
Theresa von Wangenheim, who runs the Instagram account @SSSSSOUPSSSSS, also emphasizes the relative un-chicness of soup.
I think the soup as a concept was out of fashion for a while, she says.
Is soup the quiet luxury of food?
Photo: Courtesy of Russell Markus
Interestingly, it seems both fashionand foodhave made a shift towards the unkempt as of late.
This content can also be viewed on the site itoriginatesfrom.
All of this comes down to one essential ingredient: love.
Still, Markus never loses his sense of humor around it all.
