Craving soup? Here's where to get the best chowder, ramen and more in Sonoma County.
Spicy Tan Tan Ramen at Ramen Gaijin: Homemade sapporo noodles, sesame, scallion, pork belly chashu, spicy ground pork, charred cabbage, wood ear mushrooms and a cream six-minute egg is about as authentic as it gets. 6948 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, 707-827-3609, ramengaijin.com. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Tomato Soup at Lunchbox: Rich and creamy tomato soup is a perfect dipping vehicle for a kimchi grilled cheese sandwich. 128 N. Main St., Sebastopol, lunchboxsonomacounty.com. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Miso Soup at Sushi Kosho: Real-deal miso made from scratch, which makes all the difference. 750 McKinley St., Sebastopol, 707-827-6373, koshosushi.com. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Pozole Verde, Kina's Kitchen & Bar: Inspired by her mother's traditional recipe, Kina Chavez's homey green stew includes chicken thighs, bone broth, hominy and crisp tortilla strips. 19101 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, 707-935-3287, kinaskitchenbar.com. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
The Big Piece of Chicken at Grossman's: A giant matzoh ball, ramen noodles, kreplach and pulled chicken are pretty much what we'd call matzoh soup, but whatever you call it, it's good. 308 Wilson St., Santa Rosa, 707-595-7707, grossmanssr.com. (Loren Hansen)
Pozole at La Rosa Tequileria: If nothing else, you’ll ward off vampires and anyone wanting to sneak a smooch with this garlicky soup made with tender pork shoulder, hominy and chiles. It comes with lime, red onion, cilantro and jalapeño, and you can make it as tame or spicy as you like. 500 Fourth St., Santa Rosa., 707-523-3663, larosasantarosa.com. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
Miso Butter Soup at Miso Good Ramen: hough we’re pork lovers through and through, the veggie-centric ramen is over-the-top delicious. It’s made with fermented soybean broth and piled with okra, corn, sprouts, mushrooms and garlic seaweed, with a pat of butter (contains pork broth). 507 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-545-7545. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Curry Soup at Ippin Udon: We can’t get enough of this creamy, mild curry soup with tofu. A perfect winter warmer. 1880 Mendocino Ave. D, Santa Rosa, ippinnllc.com (Heather Irwin)
Tofu Soup at Tov Tofu: Beat the cold with a roiling, boiling pot of silken tofu with a combination of veggies and meats (try the combination with beef, shrimp and clams), all topped with raw egg (it cooks in the soup). 1169 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-566-9469, tovtofu.menu11.com.
Pho Ga at Goji Kitchen: Chicken noodle soup with a Vietnamese twist is sure to cure anything. 1965 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-623-3888, gojikitchen.com. (Courtesy of Goji Kitchen)
Ramen with Kaarage at Raku Ramen and Rolls: Ramen plus nuggets of tasty fried chicken. 2424 Midway Drive, Santa Rosa, 707-623-9668, rakuramenandrolls.com (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Truffle Crab Noodle Soup at Kettles Vietnamese Bistro: This East-meets-West soup has soba noodles, snow crab, cilantro and coriander swimming in an aromatic white truffle oil broth. 1202 W Steele Lane, Santa Rosa. (Courtesy of Kettles Vietnamese Bistro)
Sukiyaki at Hana Japanese: Unlike its stylish cousins, ramen and shabu-shabu, sukiyaki isn’t exactly a cultural zeitgeist, but this showstopper should be. A skillet-size Japanese hot pot (or donabe) comes to the table trailing fragrant steam from onions, tofu, mushrooms and thin strips of rib-eye steak swimming in a sweet-salty, umami broth. Served with rice and a raw egg for dipping into. 101 Golf Course Drive, Rohnert Park, 707-586-0270, hanajapanese.com. (Chad Surmick/The Press Democrat)
Clam Chowder at The Shuckery: Creamy, cozy, fresh clam chowder from the best seafood spot in Petaluma. 100 Washington St., Petaluma; 707-981-7891, theshuckeryca.com (Courtesy of The Shuckery)
Kimchi Jjigae at Soban: Spicy, savory Korean soups and stews are a favorite at this spot hidden in a strip mall. Dive into the fiery hot kimchi soup with pork and tofu to power you through the day. 255 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma; 707-769-3112, sobanpetaluma.com (Yelp)
Seafood Ramen at The Taste of Tea: A tasty medley of scallops, shrimp and squid in a shiso ponzu broth. 109 North St., Healdsburg, 707-431-1995, thetasteoftea.com (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Lobster Soup at Chad's Soup Shack: This farmers market pop-up features a selection of weekly soups, so you never know what will be featured, but if the Lobstaah Chowdaah is available, snap it up. Check the Facebook page for locations and updated menus. 707-583-9413.
Clam Chowder at Spud Point Crab Company: This is where to go for the most authentic clam chowder on this side of the Hudson River. Rich and milky, your spoon won’t stand up straight in this creamy broth, but the seafood flavor is to die for. 1860 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, 707-875-9472. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Cold weather cues cravings for comforting soups. Plain and simple and always better the next day, soup isn’t about the ingredients so much as it is about the way a steaming bowl of comfort makes you feel. It’s time to warm up with some of our favorite local soups. Click through the above gallery for details.
