The world's BEST soup ?

Alehouse onion soup, Shoney'sCabbage Beef which I've stated here before. My own potato and vegetable beef. Question...growing up our family NEVER ate homemade soups in the summer. "Too hot" Mom would say. I find I've adopted the same ruling but have recently have really been craving homemade soup. What's your opinion?

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Originally posted by Tedbear




Now, even though it is a chain operation, I do want to extol the virtues of the Triple Squash soup that I had today at Whole Foods. size=4]

Whole Foods makes wonderful soups. i like the spinich lemon chicken but my favorite is the mulligatawny.

Pho at any good Vietnamese restaurant

She crab soup from either Gullah Cuisine in Mt. Pleasant, SC or Seewee restaurant in Seewee, SC

Any soup at Turtle Bread in Minneapolis

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Originally posted by Rusty246

Alehouse onion soup, Shoney'sCabbage Beef which I've stated here before. My own potato and vegetable beef. Question...growing up our family NEVER ate homemade soups in the summer. "Too hot" Mom would say. I find I've adopted the same ruling but have recently have really been craving homemade soup. What's your opinion?

Too hot to cook! Not too hot to eat!

On the subject:

Canned - Campbell's Italian Wedding soup.
Restaurant - unfortuntely a now closed Chinese place in Hampton VA had the best soup - Sizzling Rice Crust Soup. I've never tasted anything like it. Took them two days to make it. Very dramatic presentation at the table - throwing the cold, dried out rice into the hot soup!

By all reports the soups at Guiseppe's in Williamsburg are v.g.

All over Ireland you will find vegatable soup - every tea shop, tourist spot and almost every pub has a version of it. Thick potato based soup perfect with brown bread after a hike around the country side. I made a version of it by using a Leek & Potato Soup as a base and added carrots.

I've also made an excellent soup from the Native American/First Nations cookbook "Spirit of the Harvest" - Wild Rice and mushroom soup. I've only made it once and that was a while ago. I've been thinking about making it again.
Wow, long post!
Cathy

I put my vote in for the seafood chowder at the Maine Diner in Wells. It's better than any bisque or stew that I've had on the East Coast.

Growing up, we ate lots of vegetable soup in the summer. Fresh garden vegetables at nearly every meal, and the left-overs all went into the soup pot, with or without meat. Wonderful! As for a restaurant soup, the best I have had is the she crab soup at Charley's on Shore Drive in Virginia Beach, VA.

There's an awesome Chinese soup called 'paomo' that's only common in the more Muslim areas of China, and particularly the city of Xi'an. It's basically pieces of bread in lamb broth, with bits of lamb, pickled garlic and cilantro. It's just famous enough that perhaps some chefs in Chinatowns across the US will know how to make it. Fortunately the city I lived in had a large enough Muslim population that I could get it when I wanted. Muslim Chinese food is like nothing else in the world. If I had the financial backing, I would open a restaurant myself.

For me, probably a toss-up between chilled puree of spring pea soup with mint, or an incredible puree of pumpkin soup that I ate in a family's home in France on a regular basis...I don't know, but no matter how often I try the pumpkin soups here in the States, the flavor is never the same...maybe the pumpkins are just different? Then again, it could be the dollop of "creme fraiche" which the French put on top before serving, which we don't seem to do. And the creme fraiche sold here for some reason also doesn't have the same taste...

She crab soup at the little cinder block place on hwy 17 in McClennanville SC (about sixty miles north of Charleston. Crab shop, Crab place something like that...only a hardware store and two gass station plus this place on 17.

My vote is for the Fish Chowder at the Ebb Tide Restaurant on Commercial Street in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Just thinking about it makes me want to jump in the car and drive the 4 hours to get there. This is a great little place in downtown, open year 'round, and certainly qualified as a genuine roadfood destination.

I love all this talk of soups!

The Anne of Green Gables cookbook put out a recipe for a creamed vegetable soup which is out of this world!

Also, I love carrot and ginger soup. We have this every year at Thanksgiving as a starter.

For a chain restaurant, TGIFriday's makes a wonderful French Onion soup, rich with lots of ooy gooy cheese.

I am going to second the Whole Food's Triple Squash soup vote! Amen!

quote:

Originally posted by Williamsburger
Restaurant - unfortuntely a now closed Chinese place in Hampton VA had the best soup - Sizzling Rice Crust Soup. I've never tasted anything like it. Took them two days to make it. Very dramatic presentation at the table - throwing the cold, dried out rice into the hot soup!

When I lived in Atlanta in the late '70's/early '80's, I loved the Sizzling Rice Soup at "Empress of China"-- they had a few restaurants around the Atlanta area. And I lived in Virginia-Highlands at that time and thoroughly enjoyed the soups made at "Capo's Cafe" which sadly closed years ago. They made a delicious cream of broccoli soup and a wonderful (hot) creamy cucumber-dill soup.

Last December, I had the most delicious butternut squash soup at "Meil's" in Stockton, NJ, right near the Delaware River. I could've eaten bowl after bowl of that!

(edited to add one I forgot) Hearth & Kettle on Cape Cod makes a fabulous lobster chowder that I have to get a few times when we're there for our yearly vacation in September.

I guess those would be my favorites of all time.

The worlds best soup may be the soup de jour!! I say that cause about once a month, Mamaw Smith cleans out the frige and makes soup out of whatever is there. It always varies cause it is always different. I have found French fries in the soup, baked potatoes, beef, pork and everything else you can think of. I guess what really matters the most is the spices she uses which always include onions and a little chili powder.

She will always freeze a little and I find soup available when she cooks a cast iron pan of Tennessee fried cornbread.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Mussel bisque at Dobson's in San Diego. A legendary mussel bisque served under a lofty crown of puff pastry, the delicately colored bisque beneath is rich and smooth as silk and spiked with sherry.

I have posessed a restaurant idea for some time where you serve nothing but soups, stews, chowders, chili's and good things to go with them. What does everyone think of the idea?

Hey Sundance Kid ---I agree with your soup de jour nomination. In my mother's home it was a wee bit different, but not much. As kids we grew up in a house that had a big old coal fired range in one corner of the kitchen. On that range, which was always hot, Mom always had a kettle of water for tea and a pot of soup de jour warm and delicious. After dinner all the leftovers went into the pot. Every day the ingredients in the soup changed--add a little more water, throw in an onion, a little salt and pepper and whatever else was laying around that was edible and we always had great soup. Plus, Every night a big pot of slow cooking oatmeal was set on the back burners (the cooler ones) and on a cold morning us kids could stand next to the warm stove and fill our plates with perfect oatmeal. The kitchen was always the warmest, most friendly place in the house. They should still be !!!!!!!

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Originally posted by IceCreamGirl

I have posessed a restaurant idea for some time where you serve nothing but soups, stews, chowders, chili's and good things to go with them. What does everyone think of the idea?

I love the idea and I would definitely patronize a restaurant like that. A few simple salad choices, some great bread, including cornbread...

Tom Yum Gai - Lanna Thai Restaurant, Tulsa, OK (E. 51st St/Harvard Ave.)

Chicken Clay Pot - Thai Cafe, Houston, TX

Tortilla Soup - Chico's, Promenade Mall, Tulsa, OK

Dill Pickle Soup - Polonia's (Polish), 1900 Blalock, Houston, TX

Albondigas - (spicy meatball soup) I make it with lots of garlic and cilantro! MMMMMMMMMmmmm (I figured out the recipe from a restaurant in Palmdale, CA, then tweeked it.)

I have travelled the world over the last 20+ years and these are the best!

quote:

Originally posted by fofinger

I think the world's best soup comes from a company in Canada...that's right it's canned, and has been around forever. Habitant French Canadian Style Pea Soup....this is made with yellow peas, nothing like green pea soup, which I also love. The company has been purchased by Campbells but so far they haven't changed anything with the exception that I can't seem to find the bigger squat cans anymore. Try it.....it's the World's best.

which is better... tomato bisque or lobster bisque? and who knows a good place that serves tomato bisque?

The best soup I ever had was the Mushroom Medley at my Safeway. A delicious blend of 4 mushrooms, wine, cream, and silky broth. Just the aroma will make you want more!

On Sullivan's Island, *Aunt Mary's chicken gumbo over rice is a very close second to many of the she-crab soups along the SC coast.

*Not a restaurant. You have to be invited. :)

The most unusual soup I've had is the very localized clam chowder found on Okracoke Island. It's in a clear broth, almost Asian-like, and cooked with large, mild leeks. Never had this soup anywhere else.

I have to say my mother's tomato soup accompanied by grilled cheese sandwiches; her potato soup; hot and sour soup when it's made well and full of tofu, green onions, and mushrooms; and of course you can never go wrong with the good old stand by Campbells Chicken Noodle soup.

Andrea

Wow. Last Friday night I dined oncioppino for the first time. It was at an Italian restaurant in West Columbia SC. It ranked right up there with the best food I've ever eaten.

Yes, it might even beat Charleston She-crab Soup.

quote:

Originally posted by fofinger

I think the world's best soup comes from a company in Canada...that's right it's canned, and has been around forever. Habitant French Canadian Style Pea Soup....this is made with yellow peas, nothing like green pea soup, which I also love. The company has been purchased by Campbells but so far they haven't changed anything with the exception that I can't seem to find the bigger squat cans anymore. Try it.....it's the World's best.

For a canned soup, I agree. This is good stuff! I have my Canadian relatives bring it to me when they visit.

The best Minestrone I have ever had is at Pagliacci's in Denver. It is included with your meal. It's an old family recipe; absolutely delicious.

The best seafood chowders and bisques I've tasted were in various restaurants in Nova Scotia. I can't recall the names of the restaurants, but each one was fantastic.

When in Seattle for a good clam chowder, Ivar's on Pier 54. They've expanded all throughout Seattle but to truly savor the original-style, go to the Pier 54 dine-in restaurant.

Best soup has got to be my Mom's veggie soup. My mother has a huge container in the freezer and for about a month or so every veggie we eat at dinner the left over goes in the pot then at the end of the month she browns up some beef and adds water, canned crushed tomatoes, the huge container of veggies, and usually some cubed potatoes at the end because they are not good recooked. It is fun because that soup is different every time. It is a great way to avoid leftover veggies too. Everyone who ever tries it wants the recipe, which is just the funniest thing because sometimes it is real all american sometimes it has a mexican flair or an italian taste.

I will always bump for soup!

Best restaurant soup I've had is the she-crab soup at Isle of Capri in Virginia Beach. It's usually only offered as a special, but even if it's not nepotism (my FIL knows the owner) rules the day and I can order it. Seeing as I normally loathe seafood, that should tell you how good it is!

I've been trying my hand at making homemade soups lately--I found a killer tomato soup recipe that tastes remarkably like Campbell's. I throw in some little meatballs, make a salad, and there's dinner.

quote:

Originally posted by Phishmonger

My vote is for the Fish Chowder at the Ebb Tide Restaurant on Commercial Street in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Just thinking about it makes me want to jump in the car and drive the 4 hours to get there. This is a great little place in downtown, open year 'round, and certainly qualified as a genuine roadfood destination.

http://www.hollyeats.com/EbbTide.htm

quote:

Originally posted by roossy90

quote:

Originally posted by Phishmonger

My vote is for the Fish Chowder at the Ebb Tide Restaurant on Commercial Street in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Just thinking about it makes me want to jump in the car and drive the 4 hours to get there. This is a great little place in downtown, open year 'round, and certainly qualified as a genuine roadfood destination.

http://www.hollyeats.com/EbbTide.htm

OOps, I forgot to add, is that a picture of it in that link?