in the kitchen with…
Souper Soups 2024
Vegetables take the cake at this year’s State Fair.
Story by Carol McGarvey
Featured in Autumn 2024
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Bacon Cheeseburger Egg Rolls may have taken the top prize in this year’s Iowa State Fair’s Best New Food competition.
But inside the Elwell Family Food Center, Cream of Mushroom Soup helped Jacqueline Riekena of West Des Moines dance away with the first-place honors in our Welcome Home ‘Souper’ Soups contest. “It’s all about the mushroom,” she said excitedly. “That aroma just overtakes you. When I checked in the dish of soup, everyone around me commented on the wonderful aroma.”
Second prize was awarded to Olivia Smith of Winterset for her delightful Roasted Zucchini Bisque. The full-bodied yummy dish gives you another choice for using zucchini.
Third place went to Rose Ridgway of Johnston for her smooth Fruity Pineapple Soup, a refreshing dish on a hot day.
Elliott Smith of Des Moines took the honorable mention honor for his Stewnami Tailgate Touchdown Soup. “I have been adjusting this recipe for about four years,” he points out. “The basic recipe is for chili. But I love lots of vegetables, so I keep experimenting with them.” This recipe includes these veggies—whole-kernel corn, peas, mixed vegetables, baby portobellas, carrots, celery, sweet peppers, cucumber, cauliflower, and broccoli. “By the time I am done, the chili recipe morphs into a stew,” he says. Smith celebrates the soup by drinking a can of beer.
Pat Berry, food superintendent, says food entry numbers were up this year from last year. There were 6,434 entry tags from 641 exhibitors. “The wonderful thing is there were lots of first-time entrants, and they brought one to four items each.” •
This Year’s Winners:
- First Place: Cream of Mushroom Soup by Jacqueline Riekena
- Second Place: Roasted Zucchini Bisque by Olivia Smith
- Third Place: Fruity Pineapple Soup by Rose Ridgway
- Honorable Mention: Stewnami Tailgate Touchdown Soup by Elliott Smith
