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The Melting Pot
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1970s-present - San Francisco sourdough bakeries and national cafe chains popularizing edible soup bowls
Soup in a bread bowl became nationally familiar through San Francisco sourdough tourism and later cafe chains. The idea is older than the mall, but in modern American food it usually means chowder, broccoli cheddar, or another creamy soup served in an edible round loaf.
Difficulty
Easy
Prep time
20 minutes
Cook time
30 minutes
Total time
50 minutes
Servings
4 bread bowls
Region
San Francisco bakeries and national cafe chains
Era introduced
1970s-present
Introduced by
San Francisco sourdough bakeries and national cafe chains popularizing edible soup bowls
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The bread bowl works because it is both serving vessel and side dish. San Francisco sourdough bakeries helped make clam chowder in a sourdough bowl iconic for tourists, while chains such as Panera made broccoli cheddar and other bread-bowl soups familiar across the country. This version uses a simple creamy broccoli-cheddar soup, but the same bread-bowl method works with chowder, chili, or tomato soup.
Drafted with San Francisco bread-bowl context from The Gourmet Gourmand (https://thegourmetgourmand.com/san-francisco-clam-chowder-in-sourdough-bread-bowls/), modern bread-bowl history from Tasting Table (https://www.tastingtable.com/1763129/bread-bowl-history/), and chain-era context from Panera coverage in Teen Vogue (https://www.teenvogue.com/story/panera-double-bread-bowl).
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