Almost by accident, Chris Hyde of Olympia has embarked on a post-retirement career as a soup chef — a volunteer cook who nourishes neighbors with such creations as halibut and clam chowder, East African peanut soup and healing broth that’s reported to have eased many an illness.
Some call him Soupman, but to the biggest fans of his serendipitous soup kitchen, “Souperman” might be a more appropriate moniker.
“He’s an inspiration,” said Gail Pollock, who doesn’t live far from Hyde but never met him until he started the project, organized through a Facebook group . “What he’s doing is extraordinary. I just think it’s remarkable that he’s so kind and generous. And his soup is delicious.”
In the late afternoon and evening, neighbors can be seen stopping by Hyde’s east side porch to pick up pints of hot soup or frozen offerings from the freezer he calls his “soup library.” All are welcome, regardless of financial need or political views.
“The idea was to make soup available to anyone for any reason,” he said. “You don’t have to be homeless or low income, but there are a lot of those situations out there. I wanted it to be something that really mitigates the divisiveness that we’re all feeling right now.”