Soup’s on: a gallery of Toronto’s 13 most comforting (and beautiful) bowls

Soup’s on: a gallery of Toronto’s 13 most comforting (and beautiful) bowls

By Renée Suen | March 2, 2011

By Renée Suen | 03/02/2011

With frigid winter slowly giving way to soggy spring, the best way to keep warm remains to tuck into hearty broths, soups and stews. And while they appear on almost every menu, only a few rise above the ordinary. Here are thirteen feasts for the eyes, nose and stomach that melt our soup-loving hearts.

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Chef David Lee tweaks an old favourite with this pretty starter. A mouth-watering and intense smoked chicken broth is dusted with sweet goji berries, moist shredded meat and a potpourri of edible flowers, coriander and sliced gai lan (Chinese broccoli). Tear-shaped pasta in pale browns and greens sit like pebbles at the base of the eye-catching broth, while lime and chili provide the namesake flavours.
$10.

A specialty of this Cabbagetown gem is the khao soi: lean braised beef and egg noodles nestled in a rich yellow curry made of chicken stock and coconut milk. While the beef’s star anise and cinnamon marinade gives the protein character, it is the textural contrast between the crisp mountain of fried egg noodles and the gravy-soaked noodle bed that has our mouths singing. A squirt of lime juice brightens the thick stew and lightens the palate.
$10.25

Chef Teo Paul’s take on the classic tomato soup may be inspired by childhood memories of Campbell’s condensed soup, but his is looser and more refined. Slightly tart canned tomatoes are combined with sweet onions, garlic and a touch of salt before being puréed and strained. A drizzle of olive oil finishes the ultra-smooth soup, which is accompanied by wedges of buttery grilled cheese, made with Harbord Bakery challah and P.E.I. cheddar.
$8 at lunch, $9 at dinner

Frank’s house-made and season-conscious soups rotate frequently, but a perennial favourite is chef de cuisine Martha Wright’s parsnip with apple chutney. Sweet pears, parsnips and onions are cooked, puréed and sieved to create a velvety, dairy-free soup base; its neutral palette contrasts with a delightful mix of caramelized onions, apples, golden raisins and dried cranberries. The completely vegetarian soup is finished with a touch of cream (which can be left out for vegans), and served with a pappadum rosette—a nod to the AGO’s current Maharaja exhibition.
$9

The Han brothers’ signature dish is a two-part DIY affair that’s as fun as it is delicious. Named for the sound made by dragging paper-thin slices of beef or seafood and market fresh vegetables—shimeji, enoki and king oyster mushrooms, zucchini, napa cabbage, Shanghai and baby bok choy—through hot beef bone broth, the dish is cooked on a tabletop burner and served with homemade sauces, including a zingy lemon-ginger soy sauce spiked with pineapple-juice mustard. Diners end the meal by cooking homemade potato-starch noodles or sesame oil–spiked jook (a risotto-like porridge made with short-grain rice and an egg) in the broth left in brass pot.
$15-$20 at lunch, $25-$30 at dinner

This chef’s special is also known as #177, but the mì quảng would be just as delicious by any other name. Ample curls of pork, parboiled shrimp and tangles of soft egg noodles swim in a complex turmeric-stained pork bone soup. Sweet golden-fried shallots, crushed peanuts and thick sesame seed rice crackers provide crunch, while fistfuls of sliced green and white onion add kick.
$8

One-bowl meals are the stock-in-trade of this Entertainment District mainstay. Expert saucier Ravi Kanagarajah, best known for his innovative soups, infuses the traditional belly-warming corn chowder with hints of ginger and Thai curry paste. The creamless, nut-free and vegetable stock–based soup is finished to order with a tumble of fresh shredded crab meat, crisp fried shallots and Thai basil, then sided by a flaky warm cheddar biscuit.
$8.99

This traditional Korean stew is available at four spice levels and served in a cast iron shell that ensures the contents stay hot. A raw egg is cracked and left to poach in a kimchee-laced broth, with a single small shrimp and clam frolicking in the bubbling waves. Stir the pot to find creamy heaps of silken tofu hidden below the soup’s chilli oil–slicked surface. An assortment of side dishes joins a stone bowl of steamed rice to complete this cheap and filling feast.
$6.95

Chef Scott Woods’s version of the cheese-laden classic is anything but standard. Silky duck consommé is fortified with Shaoxing wine, sherry, sweet roasted garlic and onions, then poured tableside over rich duck-leg confit, julienned cured duck breast and gizzards. Meanwhile, a veal jus–brushed sourdough chip acts as a golden raft that keeps crisp fried leeks and an aged cheese tuile dry. A creamy slice of foie gras, Thunder Oak gouda froth and a blistered cipollini onion add body and nutty depth to the savoury broth. The full-bodied soup is a cacophony of textures, but harmonious in flavour, brimming with mouth-watering aromas and great visual appeal. It’s even better with a glass of Riesling.
$12

Everybody’s tutti matti (crazy, that is) about Chef Alida Solomon’s no-fuss, hearty ribollita. The soup is made from organic Tuscan black winter cabbage and mirepoix sourced from Holland Marsh, as well as creamy cannellini beans, and is thickened by bread and potato. Its name refers to its reboiled nature, which builds upon a mother soup over a 3–4 day period. The rosemary and thyme–finished ribollita is ladled over thick slices of grilled garlic–rubbed sourdough miche from Fred’s Bread, then christened with raw red onions and a healthy drizzle of olive oil.
Part of the $15 prix fixe lunch menu, $12 at dinner.

The secret to this popular hot course is in its preparation: Chef Luis Valenzuela sautés mirepoix with garlic in chorizo fat before adding chestnuts, chestnut water, cumin and a hint of tomato paste. All the familiar flavours of the thick peasant soup are retained, but enriched with the locally made chorizo and chunks of roasted chestnuts. The result is uncommonly aromatic and comforting.
$8

This Leslieville haunt is known for a flavourful beef noodle soup from Huế, Vietnam’s imperial capital, that bathes round rice noodles and shaved rare sirloin beef. Here, beef broth is enriched by stir-fried lemongrass, ginger, star anise and a scoop of pungent shrimp paste. The result is a light, yet satisfying, one-bowl meal that is topped with cilantro, green onions and Vietnamese basil. Bean sprouts and lime may be added to taste.
$9.50

One glance is all you need to see that the split pea soup is one of the more popular items at this North York institution—there’s a bowl on nearly every table. The humble milk- and meat-free soup is thickened by green split peas and laced with parsley and sweet feathery dill. Strands of egg noodles float amongst diced carrots, celery and onion in this simple and crowd-pleasing number.
$3.99

Topics: AGO Alida Solomon Best of the City Cabbagetown David Lee Food Porn Frank Golden Turtle Hanoi 3 Seasons Korean Lucien Luis Valenzuela Martha Wright nota bene Ravi Kanagarajah Ravisoups ROM Scott Woods soup Sukhothai Swish by Han Teo Paul Tofu Village Torito Toronto Tutti Matti Union United Bakers vegetarian Vietnamese