Cozy view from inside Twelve 31 Cafe (butternut squash soup pictured)

By Melissa Dolpies, Twelve 31 Cafe & Catering

Making soups has always been one of my most enjoyable jobs as a chef. From my days in fine dining and working at various hotels in Boston I always looked forward to “stirring the pot.” Whether replicating well-known soups with my own creative spin, or coming up with my own new recipes, making soup is just something I can never see myself getting burned out on.

Since expanding to Main Street in Concord in September of 2022, I have had the chance to further this passion for soup at our cafe. It’s fun to see and hear about the curiosity of our regulars when they ask… “What’s the soup this week?” or “Please tell me it’s the creamy tomato today!” and “I’m back for more ‘chowdah!’” or “Can I put a request in to get some chili soon?”

It’s great to create new unique soups. Once while preparing our Taco Bar catering menu for a wedding client I thought… street corn, taco chicken… let’s put these ingredients together (with a few additions) and our “Street Corn ‘n Chicken Chowder” was born! And while preparing veggie dishes for catering, I decided to merge all these fresh veggies together and our Vegan Veggie Soup came to life.

My husband, Michael, who you will see at the cafe more than me, loves naming soups. I had chicken, veggies and tomato-based broth and didn’t know what to name it. He looked at it and said, “Looks like chicken cacciatore to me.” And there you have it… Chicken Cacciatore soup!

Because it’s a long cold winter, we’re going to have some fun and hope you will join us at Twelve 31. Starting on February 10, Winter Soup Fest is here! Our cafe, at 100 North Main Street, across from the State House will have our usual New England Clam “Chowdah” and not just one but three additional soups to choose from. As always, they’ll be made with quality fresh ingredients and a lot of love. Come get some!

Melissa Dolpies is the owner of Twelve 31, a catering / event company with a cafe located at 100 North Main Street, Concord NH. She can be reached at: twelve31.cafe or twelve31.events

Visit Concord NH is an initiative of the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce. This website and accompanying social media profiles showcase the best of NH’s Capital Region to travelers, new residents and long-time fans of Concord. Learn more about the Chamber at concordnhchamber.com.

Soup Fest on Main Street