Soup is ALWAYS on at Joe’s Kitchen
A true soup maven knows how to make a delicious soup out of simple, fresh ingredients. Joe Buley, the mastermind behind Joe’s Kitchen at Screamin’ Ridge Farm, has spent the last 17 years perfecting not one but more than 35 different soups. If you frequent Hunger Mountain Co-op, Healthy Living, City Market, Skinny Pancake, the co-ops in Middlebury and Rutland, or the Co-op Food Stores in White River Junction, Norwich, and New Hampshire, you’ve probably seen his soups in the hot bar or packaged as retail 24-ounce containers in the refrigerated section. And if you’ve savored them, you can attest to their quality and variety.
Thai Curry Squash, one of Joe’s most popular soups, merges roasted butternut squash and coconut milk seasoned with Thai green curry and citrus. Broccoli Cheddar marries Vermont cheddar and locally grown broccoli. Corn Chowder offers a comforting blend of potatoes from the Northeast Kingdom and sweet corn in rich milk and cream from Mansfield Dairy. Beef and Black Bean Chili—a heady concoction of Vermont beef, Joe’s own roasted beef-bone broth, and organic black beans—stays light thanks to a splash of Zero Gravity Conehead beer. Ginger Chicken highlights tender chunks of Misty Knoll chicken, roasted chicken-bone broth, and local veggies, all brightened by plenty of fresh ginger and lemon.
There’s also Farm Pho centered on organic tofu and roasted mushrooms seasoned with fresh ginger, basil, mint, cilantro, and a hint of red chili. Vegan Black Bean Chili features Rhapsody Natural Foods tempeh coupled with peppers, mushrooms, onions, and a perfect chili spice. Curried Vegetable melds Vermont root veggies with coconut milk and a warm Indian curry.
“Most of our soups are gluten-free and low salt by design,” Joe explains. “No additives or stabilizers, just real and healthy ingredients. I have family members with dietary restrictions, so I want our soups to be available to all.” –Joe Buley
“Most of our soups are gluten-free and low salt by design,” Joe explains. “No additives or stabilizers, just real and healthy ingredients. I have family members with dietary restrictions, so I want our soups to be available to all.”
Joe’s Kitchen also makes the gravy for Skinny Pancake’s classic poutine, fries topped with Vermont cheese curds and Joe’s special gravy that starts with roasted chicken and beef bones. He has created a vegan version made with mushrooms, mirepoix (onions, carrots, celery), fresh herbs, and gluten-free tamari. Beyond the soup kettle, Joe and his team batch up different varieties of mac and cheese and are considering adding meatballs and meatloaf to their lineup.
Joe’s early passion for cooking led him to Paris where he was classically trained at the prestigious École Ferrandi. Back in the United States, he served as an executive chef at upscale establishments around the country, including his own restaurant in Austin, Texas. Then, wanting to return to his Vermont roots (his grandmother and original culinary mentor had lived in East Randolph), Joe became an instructor at New England Culinary Institute in 1999. He and his wife, Lori, and three daughters settled in East Montpelier where they ultimately transformed their homestead into a small, highly productive vegetable farm complete with three greenhouses and extensive flower gardens.
Joe and his team churn out 300 gallons a week during the height of soup season.
Joe‘s Kitchen on the road at a Shelburne Farms event
For a decade, Joe balanced his teaching with farming. He became a vendor at the Capital City Farmers Market in 2005 where he sold his veggies, soups, and prepared meals. His soups became an immediate hit, and customer feedback helped him fine-tune his recipes.
In 2008, Joe left NECI to focus on his soup business, nurturing it from a simmer to a steady, slow boil. He prepared his soups, made largely with ingredients from his own farm supplemented by other Vermont growers, in the former Mad River Food Hub before it folded. In 2014, he bought his own building in Montpelier, across the railroad tracks from Hunger Mountain Co-op, and converted the industrial facility into an efficient USDA-inspected commercial kitchen. “Hunger Mountain Co-op, Red Hen Bakery, and Middlebury Co-op were my first wholesale customers, and I’m so grateful for their support over the years,” Joe notes.
Joe and his team churn out 300 gallons a week during the height of soup season. He does some co-packing for other food businesses, and he provides incubator space in his commercial kitchen for several entrepreneurs who lease the space from him in the off-hours. “There’s a real need for commercial kitchen space around Vermont, and I’m happy to help as long as their process is aligned with our own production schedule.”
Joe Buley’s recipe for success involves a few simple ingredients: food, family, farms, flowers, and friends.
One day a week, Joe climbs into his refrigerated truck and does the delivery run to Burlington and Middlebury. “I’ve developed great relationships with my customers over 17 years. I’ll be stocking the shelves at a co-op, and people will stop and share feedback or tell me heartwarming stories about how my soups have made a difference in their lives. That’s exactly why we’re committed to making really good food with healthy ingredients, no fillers or other shortcuts.”
With more than 40 years of culinary—and farming—expertise tucked behind his apron, Joe still exudes a youthful, laid-back aura. He speaks with a hint of Texas drawl, shifting easily into Spanish when communicating with some of his team. And he remains fluent in French from his years in Paris. Apparently, Joe Buley’s recipe for success involves a few simple ingredients: food, family, farms, flowers, and friends.
