A HUDS Soup for Every Mood

Oh soup, the peak of any HUDS culinary experience. From hearty stews to clear broths, its soupy goodness has the power to transcend our differences and bring the Harvard community together like the Jefe’s line at 1 a.m. on a Saturday night. As a self-described soup connoisseur, I believe the soup is worth the awkwardly slow walk as you try to ferry your bowl to your seat without it spilling or slightly burning your tongue after digging in too soon. With a diverse lineup of HUDS soups to feed the hungry masses, no matter what oddly specific Harvard experience you’re going through, there’s always a soup for you.

When You’re Homesick: New England Clam Chowder

Are the washing machines always broken in your dorm and you miss doing your laundry at home? Do you have a meeting in the Quad in 10 minutes and PassioGo! is malfunctioning again? Did the 10th person this week say: “We should grab a meal sometime?” Are the closest thing you have to pets at school the rats in the River Houses? The stretch before Thanksgiving break can feel unending, and, with the amount of nuisances that Harvard has to offer, we all miss home sometimes. New England Clam Chowder, however, is the perfect HUDS soup to get you through your homesickness. Nothing makes you forget your troubles and embrace fall quite like some pumpkin spice donuts, a Gilmore Girls marathon, and a steaming bowl of soup. Have some New England Clam Chowder (PSA: it’s always on Fridays) to start your weekend off right.

Feeling Bougie: Lobster Bisque

Mr. “I sleep in business casual attire,” this one’s for you. Did Dean Khurana post you (at a weird angle that did you dirty) on his Instagram? Did your campus celebrity randomly say hi to you? Are you wearing your mom’s blazer and your roommate’s shoes en route to your first recruiting event? Did you just strut past the tourists outside of Widener to go procrastinate on your EXPOS 20 essay? A creamy lobster bisque and a dash of superiority complex are the perfect complements to your new main character era. Though a little funky tasting at times, the bisque offers a certain HUDS-flavored charm to it.

Feeling Sassy: White Bean Escarole

We’ve all had those days where everything seems to piss you off, and you’ve had it. Maybe the section kid was being a little too talkative in class, your roommates made you fill up the Brita like always, your TF wrote you a passive-aggressive email, or a kid from Yale opened their mouth at Harvard-Yale. Have a bowl of white bean escarole at lunch, and I promise you’ll be equipped with the snarkiest comebacks imaginable for your 3 p.m. Ec10a section. The flavor of the soup packs a perfect punch, just as you will too.

About to Pull an All-Nighter for Computer Science 120: Broccoli Cheddar

Did you just find out that each question on your three-question Math1b pset is actually 7 parts? Do you have your HCCG final presentation due in the morning? Did you use up all your extensions on the first essay for your GenEd? Does your flight tomorrow leave from Logan at 5 a.m. because it was the cheapest option? The Sunday Scaries are back this week in full force. You’re going to need as much sustenance as you can if you’re going to lock in and survive the night. Luckily for you, HUDS is serving Broccoli Cheddar soup at dinner. After consuming this delectable cheesy concoction, maybe you’ll start to feel as smart as your 11th-grade self again.

‘Does my Comp Director hate me?’: Roasted Vegetable Soup

For this next soup, a certain amount of self-pity is required. Maybe you just came out of your Chem 17 midterm and everyone you’ve talked to got different answers, your Datamatch never messaged you back (they weren’t even that cute), your friend ignored you at a punch event, or the national boyfriend day IG stories were too much for you to stomach. Regardless of the reason for your sour mood, HUDS has got just the soup to match: their Roasted Vegetable Soup. This constant, yet always disappointing, presence in the weekly soup lineup is sure to sit untouched meal-after-meal, student-after-student. After all, you have to hate yourself (even just a little) to eat it.

In the Trenches: Chicken Noodle Soup

Got Frat Flu? It’s the end of November and you still have that pesky flu you caught from a MIT frat party you were talked into trekking to on the first night of orientation. Everything in that frat was weirdly sticky, including this cough. Or maybe Cabot (Science Library) is a little too cold but your whole FAP friend group hangs out there and you refuse to wear a sweatshirt because you don’t fear the cold, it fears you. No need to fret, the age-old cure for sickness also happens to be a hot commodity at HUDS. Get yourself a nice bowl of chicken noodle — after all, it’s good for the soul, and for your sinuses. The chicken noodle soup always goes fast, though, so you have to get there early.

Feeling Bold: Thai Chicken Soup

Has Sidechat been feeding your delusions lately? You sat next to your section crush today (you’ve never talked before, but this is the first step in your 20-step marriage plan). The dhall chicken was looking really pink, but you still ate it (what’s salmonella anyways?). You skipped your 10-person seminar the day before your midterm. The Thai Chicken Soup from HUDS has a slight spicy kick to it that’s sure to get you in the mood to take risks. Plus, it’s okay to be a little delulu sometimes. You have Flyby’s approval.

Feeling Grateful: Lentil Soup

The classic lentil soup is the perfect backdrop to self-reflect on your “transformative educational experience” at Harvard. Whether you’re biking along the Charles on a Sunday morning, saying hi to your favorite HUDS workers, sleeping in because your professor canceled your 9 a.m., or spotting the elusive Remy in the Yard, lentil soup has got you covered for life’s most serendipitous moments. This hearty, fan-favorite soup is a reliable staple of HUDS, even more reliable than your sneaky link over winter break.

All jokes aside, mealtime is truly the best part of the day. Whether you’re making a Veritaffle in Annenberg, waiting in the Fly By (not flyby — that’s us) line between classes, grimly cutting into a dry slab of chicken, or slurping up a nice bowl of soup, take some time to appreciate the people and things around you. After all, mealtime (and HUDS soup) has a magical ability to bring people together.