Those subscribed to a dictionary mindset might see soup as a simple stock-based food -- but they would be mistaken.
As those attending this year's Souper Bowl soup competition would point out, soup is about love.
It's the 29th year of the soup competition, and this Saturday drew a large crowd to the Santa Fe Community Convention Center to sample the soups of more than 25 local restaurants, nonprofits, confectionary shops, aid organizations and more.
"Soup means family," said Zamir Crispin, a projects coordinator with The Food Depot, the nonprofit food bank organizing the day's contest for top soup.
Especially chicken soup, Crispin said, or caldo de pollo, as it was known to her when she was growing up -- which she now makes for her daughters.
"It still reminds me of home," she said.
There are four genres of soup competing in the Souper Bowl: savory, cream, seafood and vegetarian -- to be assigned at random to participants a month in advance.
Fernando Ramos, a self-described foodie, broke down soup into its primordial elements.
"With any soup, honestly, it's about the broth," he said, adding that balance of spices, variation of texture and the potential for toppings all factor in.
Ramos, originally from Puerto Rico and now living in Santa Fe, liked the gumbo offered by Baked and Brewed coffee shop -- and their offering of croissants.
Down the hall, through the crowd of soup fans, a mother-daughter soup team from Baked and Brewed competed for best seafood with their creole gumbo. It's the coffee shop's first time competing.
"Her unofficial title at work is the soup-ervisor," said Kate Holland, pointing to he mom, Margie Holland, ladling soup behind her.
"We're from the South, so it was an easy pick," Margie Holland added.
Another soup highlighting heritage was Boxcar's Hungarian goulash, from James Beard Foundation-recognized Chef Eric Stumpf.
" Being that we're in New Mexico, paprika is like a second red chile," Stumpf said. "So I wanted to bring a little bit of flavor from my heritage of Hungary and enlighten people with a little bit of different chile."
It's a recipe Stumpf has been making for a long time. "I grew up watching my mom cook this on the stovetop," he said.
"And I'm the mom," said proud onlooker Joyce Stumpf.
"That's our famous recipe from Hungary. It's a family recipe," she said.
"And delicate," her son replied, noting the touch of champagne vinaigrette cucumber salad on top.
Recent James Beard Award semifinalist Chef Fernando Ruiz presented an achiote chicken tortilla soup, but he gave credit to fellow Chef Roberto Perez, who said he made the recipe over more than a decade in the restaurant industry.
"He never wants to take credit for anything," said Ruiz, who opened his restaurant Escondido last year, "and I told him, if we win this thing, you're getting credit for it."
Maria Silvia Lujan, head chef with Kingston Residence of Santa Fe, a senior living facility, brought her roasted poblano chile corn soup -- which won top savory soup. She said the facility's residents "all love it," although she sometimes has to tone down the spice for them.
"It highlights what we can do," said Mark Chacon, from Delancey Street Foundation, referring to their calabacitas soup. It's their first year competing, and they hope to win top vegetarian soup in the future.
"We're a nonprofit organization helping men and women who struggle with addiction, homelessness and incarceration," he said, "and we get no government funding, so we have a movie company, a poster shop and catering. And that's how we make our money to save lives."
For The Food Depot, holding the prestigious soup games is more than a way for soup to flow. It's also a way for The Food Depot to fundraise for its food distribution programs.
At least 40% of their yearly budget going to direct food purchases. Last year, they distributed around 8.5 million meals across nine counties of Northern New Mexico.
The event, Amanda Bregel, communications coordinator for The Food Depot said, brought around 1,500 attendees, and raised enough funds to provide 550,000 meals throughout Northern New Mexico.