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The 8 Best Bowls of Soup in Chicago

Come and get it

Since we learned about hygge, the Danish concept of everyday coziness, we’re all about creating more of it in our lives. Enter soup. A bowl of the good stuff is even better than a warm bath (no tub cleaning necessary), so we scoured the city for the eight best recipes. You’re welcome.

Pho At Tank Noodle

With floor-to-ceiling windows that face Broadway, the brightly lit dining room at Tank Noodle can feel a bit like dining inside an actual fish tank. Indeed, passersby may stop and stare as you fish up tender pieces of beef brisket from your bowl of steaming Vietnamese pho.

4953 N. Broadway St.; 773-878-2253 or tank-noodle.com

Clam Chowder At Gt Fish & Oyster

We may be landlocked, but Chicago happens to have some of the best seafood in the country. Yes, we’re talking about GT Fish & Oyster. More specifically, the restaurant’s unforgettable clam chowder that comes dotted with bits of Nueske’s bacon and served in a charming mason jar.

531 N. Wells St.; 312-929-3501 or gtoyster.com

Bubbie’s Chicken Soup From Eleven City Diner

Sure, you can have this savory chicken soup with egg noodle or rice, but why would you when you can choose a perfectly dense matzo ball instead? Your real life Bubbie doesn’t have to know if you decide it tastes just as good as her recipe.

Two locations; elevencitydiner.com

Ramen At Ramen Takeya

The six types of ramen offered here are made with elevated ingredients, such as Berkshire pork belly, Jidori eggs and free-range chicken broth. With each bowl such a carefully curated masterpiece, you might feel guilty just slurping yours up—that is, if it weren’t so damn tasty.

819 W. Fulton Market; 312-666-7710 or ramentakeya.com

la scarola
La Scarola

Pasta E Fagioli Soup At La Scarola

You don’t just eat at La Scarola, you feast. Still, it’s worth it to save a little room at the start for a cup of pasta e fagioli soup, which brims with cannellini beans, fresh basil and cheese.

721 W. Grand Ave.; 312-243-1740 or lascarola.com

Pozole At Xoco

Count on Rick Bayless to deliver a next-level bowl of pozole. Bayless’s recipe is stocked with Gunthorp chicken, pozole corn and crushed red chile.

Two locations; rickbayless.com

Lentil Soup At Taste Of Lebanon

This humble Andersonville hole-in-the-wall doesn’t even have a website. Maybe that’s because the staff is too busy perfecting their lentil soup game. Order a cup of the warm, melt-in-your-mouth goodness to complement your falafel and hummus.

1509 W. Foster Ave.; 773-334-1600

Grilled Cheese And Tomato Soup At Tortoise Supper Club

Nostalgia is served. The grilled cheese and tomato soup at this River North spot is just like your favorite childhood comfort food, only better: Mom never made it with aged cheddar and seeded multigrain.

350 N. State St.; 312-755-1700 or tortoisesupperclub.com



amanda nyren

Writer, yogi, mom to about a dozen houseplants

A lifelong Chicago resident, Amanda started covering the local scene for PureWow in 2016. She's a freelance writer and content strategist.