#mannn this has been an educational journey for me

[squadrah]

la squadra's favourite soups >:)

I was asked by a good friend to really give this one my all and then some, so prepare for a lot of flavor text, ehehe.

Risotto: From Sicily he brings his love of traditional Peperonata, brewed rather thick and served with some crusty bread for mopping, as well as the conviction that soup, whether simple or complex, should be a complete meal onto itself. You won't see him serving anything on the clear or thin side because it might as well be a drink then; Ribollita and French Onion Soup are his idea of good vegetarian home cooking, and if he makes soup with meat, he will buy up the cheap cuts, bone in, and load the pot to the brim.

Formaggio: He will always take what he can get of course, but you won't catch him ordering soup anywhere, because the ones he truly cares for are either the sort of home cooking restaurants often scoff at like the humble Stracciatella, or something restaurants often get wrong such as authentic Goulash. The latter especially is his darling and he wants it home cooked with carrots, potatoes and egg noodles, but Risotto's best efforts still do not compare to how he remembers it from his mother's table.

Prosciutto: He will only touch soup if it's strong enough in itself - he would never order any with the idea of fixing it in post by adding chili. From mildest to hottest, he would appreciate a concentrated Beef Bouillon with or without the trimmings, might also like Frutta Di Mare All'acqua Pazza if the water is "crazy" enough, and would love a good Tom Yum, but his prime favorite would be a bone marrow soup like Bulalo, where there's plenty of richness and flavorful meat to go around. He must have all the marrow, of course.

Pesci: He's on the opposite end of the spectrum from Prosciutto due to his acid reflux and prefers his soups on the mild side while also eschewing those with a tomato base or onions if he can help it. You cannot go wrong with a classic Chicken Noodle, but he especially likes smooth vegetable soups like butternut squash with toasted croutons on top, and he would be first in line for anything that uses cream or other dairy, like Seafood Chowder (any type of chowder would be a big hit with him) or Yayla Çorbası.

Ghiaccio: He is at odds with soup because to his mind it's not a proper meal, and there are textures and flavors he finds repulsive, so it's a struggle. When he has any, it's usually small portions he can quickly drink or eat: clear bone broth is as close as he can venture to bouillon because the meaty flavor is negligible, and he appreciates your standard Miso for the tofu and the crunch of green onions and beansprouts, as long as the bean paste is mild. If he had the means or access, he would love the concept of Nabemono in general.

Melone: In his sickly childhood he ate a lot of Acquacotta, which he still craves sometimes despite having developed a gluten allergy, and unfortunately for him, the list of forbidden delights does not stop there. He loves a good Zuppa Imperiale, but again, the semolina in the dough cubes is a menace, and anything made with cream will avenge itself unless he takes his Lactaid. Of the soups he can safely have, he has most taken to Borscht for the excellent taste as well as its vibrant color, and has proclaimed it a health food.

Illuso: This one, in spite of his upbringing, is a soup purist who believes that soup is strictly a first course, and therefore it should be something simple and light that is easy on the stomach and whets your appetite for the rest of the meal. He loves Gazpacho and could drink it like a smoothie, and is fond of Caldo Verde with its single slice of chorizo (it's like finding the prize in your Galette de Rois), but in winter he will branch out and have Minestra di Noci as often as they can get walnuts, perhaps with some chestnuts added in.

Sorbet: Here we have someone who appreciates a wider range, but having grown up on odds-and-ends type soups often poorly made, his standards are now much higher even for something as simple as plain Caraway Soup, and he has been working on improving them all. His favorite by far is any type of lentil soup such as Minestra di Lenticchie or Masoor Dal, for the taste as well as lentils symbolizing abundance, and when he craves something sweet, any Fruit Soup will be welcome before savory main courses, hot or chilled.

Gelato: Cannot live without soup and never met one he did not like; in fact he regularly cooks a variety of them including Fruit Soup, though to him that is in the dessert category. His greatest favorites are made with sausage or entrails: think Fabada for the chorizo or Menudo for the tripe, as well as any type of meatball soup. He's not big on pasta in soup (he prefers egg noodles), but if the ravioli is filled with ground offal (mostly liver or heart, as kidney and lungs are much harder to come by nowadays), he will gladly have it.