Since winter is once again at our throats, a month early this year, and with the New Frugality forcing us to reconsider all of our dining choices, I thought that this was as good a time as any to look at professionally-made soups.

I was just at breadsoda last night and really enjoyed the mushroom and brie soup. It had all sorts of nice things in it and it really hit the spot. They DO have take-out containers, and for dining in, you can get a cup or a bowl.

If any restaurant has a French Onion soup, I'm a complete pushover for it, I almost have to order it. The more cheese on top, the better. If you need a chainsaw to cut through it, I'm satisfied Central does a great one, as you might expect. Bistro Français has the classic textbook one.

So, who's got the soup that warms your cockles these days?

I'm a sucker for laksa in the chilly months. And though Banana Leaves, Nooshi, and Spices are best known for mediocre, mish-mash, "Asian" food, they all have a respectable version. If you get it delivered, they thoughtfully give you one container with the broth, meat, and veg and another container with bean sprouts and tasty noodles, so you can mix it all together yourself and everything retains its integrity by the time you dig in.

Other than the Chicken & Sausage Gumbo Progresso soup I had for lunch...I enjoy the roast duck pho at Pacific Cafe & Grill on the Hill. One of their few good dishes.

Mmmm....Ray's the Classics Lentil Soup. One of my favorite things about winter's arrival.

Absolutely none of the soup offerings from Au Bon Pain.

A bowl of butternut squash soup at Jackson 20 on October 29 was rich and flavorful, good enough to order again (though not so amazing as to warrant a soup pilgrimage). Carrot soup at Restaurant Vero on November 14 was exactly as it should have been; not too thin, not too thick, savory with a hint of sweetness, and just the right amount. If you like carrot, you'll like the soup. Pumpkin soup at Black's Bar and Kitchen on November 15 was not as great as it read on the menu, as it lacked flavor, but the duck confit fritter swimming in the bowl saved the dish from being totally pedestrian.

Spicy Beef Noodle Soup (Szechuan Style)
Noodles in Chicken Broth with Green Vegetables
Chinese Style Fried Chicken Noodle Soup
All at A&J, of course.

Café du Parc has blown me away with their onion soup in the past, prompting me to declare that theirs is as good as any onion soup I ever had. I was there on Sunday, and had it again, and it was very good, but not quite superb. Still very good, though, and it had a beautiful, browned, semi-impenetrable crown of cheese.

The butternut squash soup at The Oval Room last weekend was insanely good- velvety w/cubes of sqash and asian pear and coffee (oil??). It was an amazing combination of flavors. The server assured me that the soup contained no cream whatsoever but he also assured me that I when I tasted it I wouldn't believe it- he was right on.

I love a good beef noodle soup in the winter, but A&J is a bit far for me [from Del Ray] unless I'm really craving it.

Any good places on this side of the Potomac? Or metro-convenient in the district, perhaps?

Well there is always the choice of A&J (there is one in Annandale).

The kabocha squash soup at the Source is worth every cent of the $12.00 I spent on it last night. Easily the best soup I've had this year.

The Floating Market Noodle Soup and Tom Yum Pork Noodle Soup at Nava Thai (see http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/559929).

The, uh, pho at Pho Hot.

Any soup emerging from Frank Ruta's hand at Palena, including the ridiculously perfect consomme recently offered.

Not soup exactly, but the Soon du boo at Vit Goel.

I haven't had peanut soup since the last time I went to the Hardware Store back when I lived in Charlottesville.

Does anywhere around here make it?

Gadsby's Tavern

What kind of soup(s) has Palena been offering lately? Living downtown is kind of good for my budget, but sad in terms of what I eat.

The cup of sul leung tang that accompanied my lunch yesterday at Gamasot was warmng and comforting. I'm ready to go back for a whole order!

Friday night's howling, chill winds were no match for "the Power" of ROUGE VIF D'TEMPS. It's a slightly creamy squash/pumpkin soup poured over minced bacon, onions and carrots -- Ferhat said it also contains Foie. This soup's a great addition to Corduroy's changing line-up and a deep, dreamy dish that will warm your soul.

The other night it was wood pigeon consomme, with ravolini, slivers of foie gras, a few vegetables. It's sublime.

The chicken noodle soup at Thirsty Bernie, for the DR dinner, was delicious! It was just perfect, following the butcher board. For some reason, I rarely order soup at restaurants, but yesterday I made a vegetable soup at home & I'm enjoying it as I type. It's a good lead-in to the invariable overconsumption during T'giving...

i haven't heard much about the sunchokes that showed up recently at palena -- not exactly a soup, maybe almost a veloute, but you eat it with a spoon. the small round cross sections of choke are perfectly smooth and arranged like points on a sundial around the bowl, with a few judicious date snips. actually there's much more to the dish, but i don't take notes and i live for the moment so my brain is usually half empty of the things i used to know. but i do remember liking it enormously. (it's was on the second course page, $15.)

The butternut squash soup at 2 Amy's on Sunday night had the slightly odd consistency of baby food, but it was sweet, slightly spicy, and completely satisfying. The Minestra pomadaro (tomato soup) at Pinzimini on October 30 was like a bowl full of butter chicken sauce from Delhi Dhaba, and I mean that in the best way possible.

The Sunchoke Soup with Bacon Foam at Adour is the best soup I have had in years, beating my previous winner, the glorious Rouge Vif D'Temps at Corduroy.

I like Brasserie Beck's Shallot and Onion soup. I believe that it has five different kinds of onion in it. It has scallions, reds, whites, and two which I can't remember.

Beck also has the best French onion soup in the D. C. area with L'Auberge Chez Francois also a consideration. Jeff Tunks has the best Gumbo.

We had an outstanding ham and (7-)cheese soup at the Evening Star Cafe in Del Ray for lunch today. Rich and flavorful and completely satisfying -- I wished I could take a thermosful home for dinner I finished lunch with the fried chicken sandwich on the jalapeno biscuit. Yum.

The soft tofu soup (whose name I am totally forgetting) at Lighthouse Tofu on Twinbrook Parkway. Incredibly cheap, filling and tasty.

Yup, good call Smokey -- the soon du boo at Vit Goel. Great minds think alike (see above)! Hope to see you there sometime soon.

Great soup indeed... and at 9 dollars is about one third the price of all of the other appetizers. Palena's is also delicious.

What a dank and dreary day like today calls out for is another bowl of the Potato and Garlic soup from Corduroy. The name conjures up an image of a rather thick and grainy puree, but what arrives in your bowl has the consistency of broth but all of the flavor of the puree. It is light, flavorful, and oh so very warming.

last night , Jaleo (CC) featured fava bean stew with "pork", which was several types of chorizo, pork belly, and pork ribs...very hearty goodness

Ribollita and pea soups at Bread Line :}

at Etrusco

Spinach Paparot, with polenta topping

then

Prosciutto, with Giardiniera


This
is
right

Mushroom soup in duck broth at Dino