Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Masoor Dal, a spicy red lentil soup from India, was one of the six soups entered in the Warren Public Library’s soup contest.

If only those pure in heart can make a good soup, then Warren County has at least several people in that category.

In honor of National Soup Month, judges for the Warren Public Library Soup Contest had the enviable task Monday of sampling six soups — from cheeseburger to Italian wedding, lasagna to chicken and gnocchi.

The hard part was deciding which were the best and will be served at the library’s Soup Luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30, in the Slater Room.

According to Adult Services Library Sharon Gage, there were initially 11 people signed up to enter soups, but several had to back out.

“We had a really big sign-up,” Gage said.

The level of interest was surprising. Last year, the event was not held because there were only two entrants.

It is just as well that only six entrants made their soups for testing this year. The comparisons were difficult enough and, even with soup, there is only so much a person can eat.

The judges picked their top three soups in order.

The first-place soup was Cissie’s Lasagna Soup, by Cathie MacKenzie.

Tamara Pudder’s Cheeseburger Soup took second, and Scott Blume’s Spicy Black Bean and Chorizo Soup took third place.

The winners are asked each year if they will make their soups for the luncheon.

If they do, the library offers reimbursement for the ingredients, Gage said. If not, someone on the staff generally prepares the soup.

“The public is invited to taste these winning recipes between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m, Monday, Jan. 30,” Gage said.

The luncheon is a simple affair — soup, crackers, and water. “Recipe booklets containing all recipes submitted from this year’s contest will be available at the library,” she said.

There is no charge for the luncheon. “Donations to defray the cost of the soup luncheon will be accepted, but are not mandatory,” Gage said.

It’s not necessarily alphabet soup. There are other connections between soup and the library.

“I try to find a bunch of different activities or opportunities that will appeal to different groups of people,” Gage said. “This gives people, who may have never been here before, an opportunity to come into the library.”

Besides, January is just a good time for soup, she said.