The pleasant aroma of homemade soup wafts through the kitchen.

It's a distinctive scent, and one that keeps customers champing at the bit for more at Balch's Soup, Salad and More in Palmerton.Located at 472 Delaware Ave. the former Yogurt City space, the business has been open since mid-November.Owner Angela Balch, who lives in Palmerton, said she chose to open the business in the downtown to give residents different foods.Previously, Balch helped her father out with his Italian restaurant in Reading, and also used to help her grandparents with their snack bar at an auction house in the Berlinsville/ Walnutport area.As the name implies, the business specializes primarily in soups, salads, and sandwiches."I think we offer things we really don't have here in town," Balch said. "We offer a healthy approach."Paninis have especially gone over well with customers, Balch said.Types of paninis customers can purchase include buffalo chicken, mozzarella caprese (fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, fresh basil, and balsamic vinegar), chicken Parmesan and cheesesteaks, among others.Sandwiches cost about $7.25 on average.But, perhaps what gives the business its identity is the homemade soups made fresh daily."I make two homemade kinds per day and they're made every day from scratch," she said. "I try to change up the soups every day."Among the flavors are chicken noodle, lobster bisque, and buffalo chicken wing soup, to name a few.Balch said she typically finds recipes, and decides on a random basis which types of soups she's going to feature."I probably have about 15 to 20 soups that go over well," she said. "I kind of try to rotate those, and try not to have the same soup two weeks in a row, except for the staples."Balch added, "I'm always looking for something different to try."Salads are another big hit with customers, Balch said. Balch makes some of the salad dressings herself.Some of the varieties include Caesar, garden, as well as Mexican Fiesta, which consists of grilled chicken, tomato, cheddar cheese, roasted peppers, Mexican corn blend and tortilla strips. Salads range in price from $6.75 to $6.95.Other menu options include wraps, hot dogs/chili dogs, side dishes such as broccoli salad, cucumber salad, and Greek pasta salad.For children, there are kids meals, such as peanut butter and jelly panini. The peanut butter and jelly panini are made on Italian bread, put on the grill, and pressed so that when they are warm when served.Kids meals cost around $4.75 on average.There are also vegetarian salads and sandwiches, as well as vegetarian soups.Balch said she makes her own hummus as well.Just this past week, Balch said the business began serving breakfast to customers.The breakfast menu consists of sausage, eggs, and cheese paninis, as well as bacon, eggs, and cheese paninis, breakfast sandwiches and crapes."We're not doing eggs and that sort of thing," she said. "We're doing our paninis and our egg sandwiches on the Panini press so it offers something a little different."Balch said there aren't many places in town that serve breakfast-type foods."It's something that we had planned from the start," she said. "I wanted to really focus on getting the soups and salads for lunch, so we decided to do it in phases."In addition, Balch said the business also does catering. Or, customers can order online and come in and pick up their food, she said.Each night Balch said she posts the menu for the upcoming day on Facebook and her website."We've had great feedback from customers; they're happy to see something different," she said. "We do like to listen to feedback."The business is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and closed Sundays.For more information, call 610-844-3679, or visit

www.balchsoupsalad.com.