Almost everyone will agree that soup, bread, and wine are all that’s needed for a satisfying winter meal. Agreeing on the components of the menu, however, might be more difficult. When faced with a what’s-your-favorite-soup query, we all have our own idea of which is best. Compound the problem by discussing choices of bread, crackers, croutons, or corn bread — and not only the soup heats up. And don’t even mention white wine versus red.

Club and resort members and guests have their favorites, and since many chefs prepare soups using ingredients that are available from local or regional suppliers, the soups are very different from club to club. Executive chef Mike "Gabe" Gabrielson of the Piedmont Club in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, says She Crab Soup is the club’s most requested soup, and often is served at private parties and banquet functions in lieu of an appetizer. "It is the number one item on the Piedmont Club’s menu," Chef Gabe says. "In fact, we have members from other clubs who tell me they visit our club just to have the crab soup." The soup, considered a culinary specialty of the Carolinas, is so named because it usually contains fresh crab roe found in the female of the species. "It’s so popular," continues the chef, "that we serve it year-round, even though the roe is only available in the spring. The soup is great, with or without the roe."

Most chefs say they are fans of local ingredients. For example, both chowders and gumbos are popular during cold weather. The Bienville Club in Mobile, Alabama, serves only fresh seafood that is purchased in Mobile. The club has access to crawfish, oysters, shrimp, and crab nearly every day. Often, the soup selection depends on what’s available.

Further inland, ingredients also are indicative of regional flavor and style. Executive chef Tim Koutla of Shady Valley Golf Club in Arlington, Texas, is known for his spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup. "We make this soup at least once a week," Chef Tim says. "I change our menus fairly often, rotating the soup selections. But our members often request it when it’s not listed." The soup is made with serrano chili peppers, a hotter pepper than a jalapeño. "The serranos spice up the soup," he says, "and more can always be added."

Vegetables are an essential part of many soups, especially winter vegetables. Scott Rowe, executive chef at Pinehurst resort in the Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina, makes good use of seasonal selections. "I enjoy using winter squash in soup recipes. Our squash and apple bisque may be prepared using acorn or butternut squash, or even pumpkin. The apples complement the vegetables, and the flavor varies depending on which squash I have on hand."

There are other vegetables that are important, too. Executive chef Scott Reifenberger of the Skyline Club in Indianapolis explains the use of mirepoix, a vegetable base. "Many soups or sauces start with this base," he says. "It’s a mixture of onions, celery, and carrots, diced to about the same size. The mix is sautéed in butter or olive oil, and sometimes garlic is added." Herbs also can be added to the mirepoix. "For soup," he continues, "the mirepoix cooks until the vegetables soften, but not until they are brown. Browned mirepoix would be used as a base for sauces."

Good, hot soup is a great way to chase away winter’s chill. These selections from club and resort chefs will warm up both family and friends.

TENNESSEE SENATE BEAN SOUP
A favorite recipe of members of the Nashville City Club.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups (about 1 pound) diced smoked ham
• 6 cans (1 pound each) great northern beans
• 3 cups chicken stock
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves

Heat the olive oil in a deep sauté pan or stockpot. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the ham and cook 5 minutes. Add the beans and chicken stock. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring the soup to a rolling boil. Combine the cornstarch and cold water. Stir into the soup. Lower the heat to medium and add the spinach leaves. Cook about 2 minutes and serve hot.

Yield: About 4 quarts.

PIEDMONT SHE CRAB SOUP
Executive chef Mike "Gabe" Gabrielson of the Piedmont Club in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, shares his version of this popular East Coast crab soup.

• 1/2 of a medium carrot, diced
• 2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
• 1/2 of a large onion, cut in chunks
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1-1/3 cups flour
• 3/4 cup tomato puree
• 1 bay leaf
• 1-1/2 teaspoons thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/3 cup dry sherry
• 1 quart crab or clam stock, homemade or purchased (see note)
• 2 quarts heavy cream
• 1 pound lump crabmeat

Finely chop the carrot, celery, and onion in a food processor. Melt the butter in a deep sauté pan or a stockpot and add the vegetables. Cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Turn heat to low. Add the flour gradually, stirring constantly, to form a roux. The mixture will be thick. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the tomato puree, bay leaf, thyme, salt, pepper, and sherry, blending well. Add the crab or clam stock, stirring until well mixed. Increase the heat to medium and cook until hot. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Add the heavy cream and crabmeat, stirring gently. Heat until very hot and ladle into serving bowls.

Yield: About 4 quarts.

Note: If homemade crab or clam stock is unavailable, Chef Gabe recommends purchasing a jar of crab or clam base. Follow the directions on the jar to prepare 1 quart of stock.

SWEET POTATO CHIPOTLE SOUP WITH SCALLION RELISH
Enjoy the flavor of jalapeños in this recipe from executive chef Scott Reifenberger of the Skyline Club in Indianapolis.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onions
• 1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/4 cup diced carrots
• 2 tablespoons diced celery
• 1-1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 ounces (slices) bacon, diced
• 1/3 cup red pepper, diced very small
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon lime juice

Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cover the pot and sweat the vegetables until soft, but not brown. Add the sweet potatoes, chipotle peppers, chicken stock, and coriander. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. Cook about 25 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are soft.

Puree the soup in small batches in a blender. Return to the stockpot. Stir in the heavy cream and season with salt.

For the relish, sauté the bacon, stirring until crisp. Drain and discard the bacon grease. Stir in the red peppers and scallions. Cook about 2 minutes. Combine the sour cream and lime juice.

To serve, spoon the soup into serving bowls. Place a dollop of sour cream in the center of the soup and top with a garnish of scallion relish.

Yield: About 2 quarts.

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP
For those who like extra spicy soup, executive chef Tim Koutla of Shady Valley Golf Club in Arlington, Texas, says to add the seeds from the serrano chili pepper to the soup.

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 6 boneless chicken breast halves, cut in 1⁄2-inch dice
• 4 stalks celery, cut in 1/4-inch dice
• 3 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 fresh serrano chili pepper, seeded and minced
• 1⁄4 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 of a 10-ounce can tomatoes with green chilies
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 quarts chicken stock
• 10 corn tortillas
• salt and pepper
• oil for frying
• Monterey Jack cheese (for garnish)
• sour cream (for garnish)

Carefully heat the vegetable oil in a stockpot. Add the chicken and cook about 3 minutes. Add the celery, onions, carrots, garlic, and serrano pepper. Cover the pan and sweat the vegetables until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes with green chilies, cumin, chili powder, and bay leaf. Stir well and add the chicken stock. Cut 5 of the tortillas in quarters and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat until the soup is just simmering and cook for 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.

Ladle about 4 cups of the soup, using equal amounts of liquid and chicken, into a blender and puree. Stir the pureed mixture back into the soup. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Cut the remaining tortillas in thin strips and deep fry until golden brown.

To serve, ladle the soup into serving bowls. Garnish with Monterey Jack cheese and sour cream and top with the fried tortilla strips.

Yield: About 3 quarts.

ACORN SQUASH AND APPLE BISQUE
Executive chef Scott Rowe of Pinehurst occasionally substitutes pumpkin for the squash in this recipe at the North Carolina resort.

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 1-1/2 pounds acorn squash, peeled and cut in 1/4-inch dice (see note)
• 3 Granny Smith apples
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 7 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup peeled and diced white potato (about 1 medium potato)
• salt
• white pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• pinch of ground nutmeg

Melt the butter in an 8-quart stockpot or large saucepan. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the squash and cook 10 minutes. Peel and core one apple. Dice very small, toss with the lemon juice and set aside. Peel, core, and dice the remaining two apples. Add the chicken stock, apples, and potatoes to the squash mixture. Season with salt and white pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook 30 to 40 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.

Remove the soup from the heat and pour about one-third of the mixture into the large bowl of an electric mixer. Working carefully with the hot soup, use the whip attachment and mix until fairly smooth. Strain the mixed portion of the soup, pressing with a spoon to remove all the liquid, and pour into a clean pan. Discard the seeds and solids. Repeat with the remaining soup. Return the pan to the heat. Add heavy cream, sugar, and nutmeg. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Heat until the soup is very hot and has thickened slightly. Ladle into bowls, garnish with a bit of the reserved apple and serve.

Yield: About 2 quarts.

Note: If acorn squash is unavailable, butternut squash may be used.

SOUP ‘N’ CRACKERS?
Crackers, an everyday accompaniment to a bowl of soup, might seem too ordinary to warrant a discussion. These crisp little wafers, however, have a long culinary history dating back hundreds of years. Once known as sea bread, sea biscuit, ship’s biscuit, or hardtack, crackers were made of unsweetened, unleavened dough. After baking, they were dried to extend their shelf life and, as a result, the crackers would keep for months.

Today’s saltine crackers are reminiscent of the old version. The addition of salt changed the taste of what must have been nearly flavorless crackers. Many different companies offer a selection of saltines and other crackers to be served with soups. And although herbed, seasoned, or fancy crackers have their place, some are so heavily flavored that they can detract from the delicate taste of a cream-based soup, or a light consommé.

Two well-known companies bake plain crackers that are considered by many to be the ultimate soup cracker. The Original Trenton Cracker Co. bakes crackers commonly served with oyster stews and soups. Called oyster crackers, and known as oysterettes in the Southern states, these small round crackers are now sold as O.T.C. Oyster & Soup Crackers. Crown Pilot Crackers, originally known as pilot bread, are crisp, large rectangular crackers that contain no salt or leavening. Nabisco now produces the crackers, and they are sold mainly in the Northeastern states. They have the distinction of being Nabisco’s oldest product.

Crackers aren’t a big table item at some Associate Clubs. "We don’t serve crackers," says executive chef Mike Gabrielson of the Piedmont Club in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. "We make our own croutons, and, if it’s appropriate, we garnish the soup with them. We don’t serve oyster crackers, at all. That’s a Yankee thing, and I’m a transplanted Yankee, so I know." The Bienville Club in Mobile, Alabama, serves the club’s dinner rolls with soup selections. The club rarely serves crackers, and its rolls are made at the club. Members say the rolls are much better than crackers.

The cracker selection differs at clubs around the world because of culinary habits and customs. However, no matter where one lives, plenty of crackers are available to accompany a favorite soup. A quick Web search will reveal enough common, fancy, or oyster crackers to keep the pantry stocked. And whether they’re baked in Vermont, England, or New Jersey, used for soup, or seasoned and used as a snack, there’s a cracker to suit almost anyone.