Cold weather cues cravings for comforting soups. Plain and simple, and always better the next day, soup is less about the ingredients and more about how a steaming bowl makes you feel. It’s time to warm up with some of our favorite local soups.
Spicy Tan Tan Ramen — Ramen Gaijin
Homemade Sapporo-style noodles, sesame, scallion, pork belly chashu, spicy ground pork, charred cabbage, wood ear mushrooms and a creamy six-minute egg is about as authentic as it gets. 6948 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, 707-827-3609, ramengaijin.com
Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup — Lunch Box
Rich and creamy tomato soup made with organic Bianco DiNapoli tomatoes, roasted red pepper and garlic is perfect for dipping a kimchi grilled cheese sandwich. 128 N. Main St., Sebastopol, lunchboxsonomacounty.com
Miso Soup — Sushi Kosho
Real-deal miso made from scratch makes all the difference. 6750 McKinley St., Sebastopol, 707-827-6373, koshosushi.com
Clam Chowder — Spud Point Crab Company
This is where you’ll find die-hard Dungeness fans lined up for hours to get a crab sandwich and Spud Point’s legendary chowder. It’s creamy without turning pasty or heavy and the garlic is no joke. The standard to which all others are measured. 1910 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, 707-875-9472, spudpointcrabco.com
Cheesy Milk and Beef Hot Pots – Boiling Bowl
In Sonoma County, hot pots are hard to find, with only a handful in the region. Our favorite is Boiling Bowl’s, featuring a thin soy milk broth with mushrooms, tofu, fish tofu, eggs, seafood, lotus root, fish fillets and shredded cheese. The beef version has a heartier broth, with thinly sliced beef, corn, tomatoes, mussels, mini sausages and other goodies. Each hot pot can easily feed two people. 500 Mission Blvd., Suite E, Santa Rosa, 707-538-8698, boilingbowlca.com
Lobster Soup — Chad’s Soup Shack
This farmers market pop-up features a selection of weekly soups, so you never know what will be available, but if the Lobstaah Chowdaah is on the menu, snap it up. Check the Facebook page for locations and updated menus. 707-583-9413, chadssoupshack.com
The Big Piece of Chicken — Grossman’s Noshery & Bar
A giant matzoh ball, ramen noodles, kreplach and pulled chicken will fix whatever ails you. Bubbie promises. 308 Wilson St., Santa Rosa, 707-595-7707, grossmanssr.com
Posole — La Rosa Tequileria
If nothing else, you’ll ward off vampires and anyone wanting to sneak a smooch with this garlicky soup of tender pork shoulder, hominy and chiles. It comes with lime, red onion, cilantro and jalapeño, and you can make it as mild or spicy as you like. 500 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-523-3663, larosasantarosa.com
Miso Butter Soup — Miso Good Ramen
Though 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
Curry Soup — Ippinn Udon
We can’t get enough of this creamy, mild curry soup with tofu. A perfect winter warmer. 1880 Mendocino Ave., Suite D, Santa Rosa, 707-521-9911, ippinnllc.com
Pho Ga — Goji Kitchen
Chicken noodle soup with a Vietnamese twist is sure to cure anything. 1965 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-523-3888, gojikitchen.com
Ramen with Karaage — Raku Ramen and Rolls
Ramen with nuggets of fried chicken. 2424 Midway Drive, Santa Rosa, 707-623-9668, rakuramenandrolls.com
Mulligatawny – Everest
An Anglo-Indian dish from the British colonial era that blends the Tamil tradition of “pepper water” with a milder, creamier curry soup filled with chicken, lentils and coconut milk. 572 E. Cotati Ave., Cotati, 707-795-7680, everestcotati.com
Truffle Crab Noodle Soup — Kettles Vietnamese Bistro
This East-meets-West soup features soba noodles, snow crab, cilantro and coriander in an aromatic white truffle oil broth. 1202 W. Steele Lane, Santa Rosa, 707-528-3747, kettlesbistro.com
Clam Chowder — The Shuckery
Creamy, fresh clam chowder from the best seafood spot in Petaluma. 100 Washington St., Petaluma, 707-981-7891, theshuckeryca.com
Kimchi Jjigae — Soban
Spicy, savory Korean soups and stews are a favorite at this spot in a strip mall. Dive into the fiery kimchi soup with pork and tofu to power you through the day. 255 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, 707-769-3112, sobanpetaluma.com
Gyoza Ramen — The Taste of Tea
Three pork gyoza with a black garlic shoyu pork broth, garlic chips, double egg and green onion. 109 North St., Healdsburg, 707-431-1995, thetasteoftea.com