The Takeout Soups and Stews That Will Get Us Through Winter
Fisherman’s Stew at Oyster House | Photo courtesy of Bondfire Media
Philly knows a thing or two about ramen and pho, but the pantheon of steamy, warming soups and stews goes way beyond these two winter staples. As we head into the coldest nights of the winter, here are the ten bowls we’ll be look at to keep us simmering from the inside out until the sun returns.
Fisherman’s Stew from Oyster House
The Fisherman’s Stew at Oyster House is based on a classic Italian cioppino — a spicy tomato broth scented with saffron and chock-full of mussels, shrimp, calamari, flaky chunks of white fish, and served with several slices of toasted bread for sopping.
Lao Curry from Stock Rittenhouse
The best thing about the Lao curry Khao Poon from Stock is that it’s super adaptable. Add tofu or seitan to keep it vegan, or load up on fried chicken, caramelized pork or grilled chicken. The rice noodles keep it gluten free, and the rich curry is perfect for lunch or dinner.
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Braised beef noodle soup Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House
There are many noodle soups on Nan Zhou’s menu, and eating through all of them would be quite a worthy challenge for the winter. Start with the braised sliced beef noodle soup, which keeps it super-simple with a rich broth, hand drawn noodles, chunks of tender braised beef, and a handful of fresh vegetables.
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Grandma-style Chicken Noodle Soup at Prescription Chicken
You don’t have to be sick to order from Prescription Chicken. In fact, the grandma-style soup, which features a rich chicken broth with onion, garlic, ginger, carrots, and celery and egg noodles, is probably best served as a preventative health measure.
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Matzo Ball soup at Famous 4th Street Delicatessen
Holidays aside, matzoh ball soup is probably best enjoyed on a blustery January day, as a quick, satisfying work-day lunch (but we won’t tell anyone if you also order one of Famous 4th Street’s gigantic Reubens and spend the rest of the afternoon napping).
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Congee at Ting Wong
Congee, a rich rice porridge, is traditionally served for breakfast, but the rules are that there are no rules and you can eat whatever you want at any time of day. Order plain congee and top it with a fried egg at home, or opt for the protein of your choice.
All The Soups at Vernick
The best way to experience Vernick at home is through their soups, which come frozen for easy storage. The options change often but standouts include carrot and coconut soup and toasted farro with mushrooms.
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Tom Yum Kalaya at Kalaya
The Tom Yum Kalaya is a truly iconic dish—in the restaurant, it’s served in a towering, internally heated soup dish of the lemongrass-scented soup and overflowing with jumbo river prawns, chunks of barramundi, mushrooms, and more. To recreate the experience at home, you can purchase the soup server at Kalaya Market, right down the street.
Sagol Mandu Soup from Seorabol
What could be better than a soup full of dumplings? Not much. Order a variety of warming stews from Seorobal and see why Korean food, in general, is so perfect for the cold weather.
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Onion Soup Gratinée at Parc
Parc’s French onion soup is not just iconic because it makes for an excellent cheese pull instagram, though that is a good side effect. No, it’s excellent because of the rich beef broth, abundance of onions, and well, yes, the melty layer of cheese.
