All Souped Up 

There's an inverse relationship between soup sales and the temperature outdoors. As one goes down, the other soars. That's why falling leaves precipitate Crock-Pot thoughts and every ski resort eatery offers a steaming soupe du jour.

There's another reason: Soup has been around since the beginning of time; the earliest evidence of a thickened savory liquid — hippopotamus stew — dates back to around 6000 B.C. It took the French, of course, to make it an art. "Consommé" held its own at the table until the Great Depression gave soup a bad name. Then came the Campbell's craze. It wasn't until the '60s, when back-to-the-landers got back to basics, that people began to rediscover the potential of potage.

Think of soup as a side dish, something to precede a meaty main course? These days, with nutritionists touting the healthful properties of a well-composed tureen, cookbooks with names like Soup Suppers and The Daily Soup abound.

Restaurants reflect the trend. As a convenience or take-out food, soup lacks a certain, well, portability. But if you're willing to risk some sloshing in the container, or to opt for a frozen version, the possibilities are endless, from the bracing hot 'n' sour to the minestrone or stew that's a meal in itself.

Appropriately, considering its climate, Vermont boasts quite a few restaurants where soup's always on. Here's a sampling of some where soup is more than just another item on the menu along with some recipes.

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Alex's Restaurant: Home of the Vermont Soup Company

Address: 1636 Williston Road, South

Burlington

Phone: 862-5678

Varieties include: Grandma Daisy's Chicken Soup, Vermont Corn Chowder, Vegan Chili, Maple Pumpkin Bisque, Lobster Bisque, Roasted Garlic Cheddar Potato, Vegetarian Split Pea, New England Clam Chowder, Chicken and Biscuit, Vegetarian French Onion

Stuff you can get with your soup: gravy fries, buffalo wings, Greek salad, fish filet sandwich, tuna melt, warm veggie wrap, bacon burger, hot turkey platter

Price range: $3.95-10.95

When Chef Alex Marko moved to Vermont to be closer to his family, he decided to open a casual restaurant that specialized in soup. "I sort of felt — before the age of global warming, when Vermont had more severe winters — that soup would be a good sell here," he explains.

The winters have warmed up, but the restaurant is still cookin', with its roomy dining room and laid-back, family-friendly atmosphere. "We don't want to be too pricey," Marko says. "I'm more into feeding people than impressing people."

Feed folks he does — with six standard soups, plus a pair of daily specials. Variety sets Alex's Restaurant apart; so do the larger number of vegetarian offerings, perhaps because Marko himself is a vegetarian. Meat is easier to leave out than fat, however. "We're a little heavy into the cream soups," Marko confesses.

Not all the ingredients are local — notably the beef. But Marko says that "like everybody else . . . I try to stay with local produce when I can, and for sure the local dairy products. . . It's just my little place." His goal, like his main offering, is humble. "We like what we do and we like when people enjoy themselves."

Maple Pumpkin Bisque

This simple, sweet soup has "a nice pumpkin color and flavor," says Marko. "I don't put any salt in it, so it's a little dessert-y." Marko, who is diabetic, doesn't get to sample the soup. But if customer response is any indication, he's doing something right. "Everybody asks me for the recipe," he boasts. And he's always willing to give it out, because he "likes to spread the joy around."

6 cups roasted or canned pumpkin, tightly packed

3 cups Vermont maple syrup

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cloves

2 cups heavy cream

4 cups water

Blend all ingredients together in a pot. Heat until hot, but not boiling. Serve.

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Cheese Outlet/Fresh Market

Address: 400 Pine Street, Burlington

Phone: 863-3968