It’s a new year, and there’s a new bucket list ready for you to tackle! We’re starting out with soups and chili to keep you warm during the winter months. During the Soup and Chili Bucket List tour, we’ll find some of the best soups in Arkansas each week.
AY Magazine Publisher Heather Baker and KARK host Hilary Hunt are back for more culinary adventures, reenergized for the next bucket list. This week, they are heading to a Little Rock lunch staple to try out some of its soups.
“I feel like the weather is just right for soups and chili,” Hunt says.
“It is beautiful outside today, but we are going to throw down on the best soups at Scallions,” Baker says.
Since 1986, Scallions has served as a lunch hot spot in the Heights neighborhood in Little Rock. Scallions has been a mainstay due to its robust menu, which includes a range of signature salads, delicious sandwiches and more. But today, the soups are the star.
Owner Chip Meadows is getting everything ready for Baker and Hunt to visit. He is preparing Scallions’ house cheese soup, along with some other tasty dishes.
“We’re also going to going to bring out our seafood dish, which is shrimp, crab and lobster, and my buddy Jim’s chicken and sausage gumbo,” he says.
Meadows is also sending out some popular lunch dishes, including the turkey and pimento cheese club sandwich, a stuffed avocado with chicken salad, and a Triple Decker sandwich, which includes ham, turkey, bacon, Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo.
Once all the food is outside, Baker and Hunt go to work. “This food looks amazing, Hilary. Not only do I have pimento cheese, but I have cheese soup,” Baker says.
“When I tell you that this is the hottest lunch in the Heights, not because they’re going to warm you up with this soup, but this dish right here, we’ll fight over it,” Hunt says, pointing out the stuffed avocado with chicken salad.
The first soup that the pair tries is the chicken gumbo. Hunt gives the gumbo top marks, having quite a background in Louisiana cuisine.
“I know authentic gumbo, and this is definitely the spot for it,” Hunt says.
Baker also praises the gumbo, noting that it is “jam-packed” with “pure yumminess.”
“This chicken gumbo is amazing. It’s newer on the menu,” Baker says. “I really like it because of its consistency. I love the rice, the chicken and sausage. There’s a spice to it, and it’s also not too soupy.”
The thickness of the gumbo is a big selling point for both Baker and Hunt. Lifting her spoon up, Hunt shows off the ample portions of rice and sausage in it. “It’s pretty much a spoonful of everything,” Hunt says.
The seafood soup is also a hit with both Baker and Hunt. The hearty soup can fill you up even on the coldest of days.
“If you’re looking for a thicker soup that’s really going to fill you up, it’s really good. You kind of feel like you’re in Florida or in the Northeast,” Hunt says.
“You can even pair it with one of their specials, like the pimento cheese and turkey,” Baker says.
Baker and Hunt continue to snack on soups and sandwiches, as well as their favorite chicken salad in an avocado. With a hearty lunch behind them, they promise to return with a new soup and chili find next week.
Make sure to tune in next Wednesday to find out where they go next!
Would you like a chance to win a Scallions gift card? Visit Heather’s Instagram page here through Friday, January 8th for your chance to WIN!