Forget the big game. This cold weather has us thinking more about warming foods than chilly football matches.
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite soups around town to help fend off the winter cold. This list is far from exhaustive, but it should serve as a good jumping-off point if you’re looking for a bowl of something delicious. Slurp and enjoy, folks.
Cioppino at Abbracci Italian Cuisine & Cocktails
Indulge in this seafood-heavy, traditional Italian soup at new North Mount Pleasant restaurant Abbracci. Cioppino is a tomato-based stew made with lobster tail, shrimp, mussels, fish and squid ink.
Rudy Royale’s butternut squash soup
Topped with vanilla creme fraiche, Rudy Royale’s seasonal butternut squash soup is warming, smooth and a little bit sweet.
Ladles’ Greek lemon chicken soup
OK, so anything from soup-focused, locally-owned Ladles is going to be just perfect this time of year. But we are suckers for the filling, flavorful Greek lemon chicken soup. Pair it with the pear and walnut salad and enjoy.
The soup sampler at Five Loaves
Big soup lover? Make your way to a Five Loaves location for the restaurant’s popular soup sampler, which comes with three pours of rotating housemade soups. Recent specials have included potato, broccoli and cheddar; Mexican chicken chili and tomato tarragon with crab meat.
Seasonal, loaded soups at Jack of Cups
Fill up with one of Jack of Cups’s current soups. Recent offerings include carrot ginger and sweet potato and kale options. Add rice and a side of naan for an extra-filling meal.
Royal American’s French onion soup
You can find French onion soup at a variety of spots around town, but Royal does it up right — and for just $8. You can also snag a new soup every week — check the restaurant’s Instagram feed to see what they’re serving.
Rancho Lewis’s green chile pozole
You’ll find Hatch green chiles all over Rancho Lewis’s menu, but they’re highlighted in a particularly comforting way in the restaurant’s green chile pozole. In a 2023 Charleston City Paper interview, Rancho Lewis owner John Lewis described the hearty stew: “We add flavor [to the corn base] by fire-roasting the tomatillos, as well as roasting Hatch green chiles for a little char.”
Santi’s Sopa Azteca
If you want more south of the border flavors, head to Santi’s for the restaurant’s Sopa Azteca, made with a bean broth and topped with avocado, sour cream and Chihuahua cheese. Former City Paper managing editor and local soup connoisseur Samantha Connors also recommends Santi’s Mama’s Specialty Soup. The robust chicken soup includes beef-filled tortillas and is served with lettuce, tomato, Chihuahua cheese, avocado and sour cream.
Burnin’ 99’s all-you-can-eat hot pot
On particularly cold, long days, why not head to a spot where you can slurp all the soup your heart desires? At Burnin’ 99’s two Charleston-area locations, you can do just that. Pick your soup base, ingredients and sauce, then boil until it’s ready to enjoy.
Naan’s South Indian soup
This spicy, veg-forward soup from Naan recently helped cure a certain cuisine editor’s devastating head cold. Pair it with the naan sampler basket and a Hot Toddy … or three.
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