Your Favorite Soup in the Loop?

The weather is starting to be wet and cold. Nothing like soup to help a guy get through the next 6 months of Chicago.
Been lurking here for awhile and thinking about asking this question, but was prompted to do so by...
Yesterday, I ate at Hackneys at the south loop printers row location. Ordered the seafood gumbo and a burger.
The gumbo was the worst soup (I almost wrote soap) I have ever had. They must bring it in a bag or a large can. I seriously would have prefered Campbells over this stuff. A liberal dose of hot sauce could not make it edible. I could not finish it. It set a bad tone for the burger. I could not finish it either or the frys. And I am part of the clean plate generation. It has to be very bad for me not to finish it. I think the soup ruined my lunch and it all ended up costing me $19/$23 with tip. (The service was good, but the place was seriously messed up that day. Fish & Chips special on the board but not available at the start of lunch?!?)

Long introduction to a short question: What is your favorite soup in the loop?
Looking for house made and meal sized bowls.
My current standbys are the Chicken and Pozole soup from La Cocina on South Clark. Sorry no Picts of the soup. Nothing real fancy but it does hit the spot on cold days. It takes a little while for them to make it so I call ahead.
La Concina's info: 406 S Clark St, Chicago, IL (312) 922-8211 (The La Concina on Jackson does not have soup).
Hackney's (I will not eat here again): 733 S Dearborn, Chicago. ‎

Chicken Tortilla Soup in the basement of the Board of Trade Building. Wednesdays only.

white chicken chile - macy's 7th floor.

I'm a fan of the lobster bisque at The Soupbox (50 E. Chicago Ave., 312-951-5900).

Come to think of it, I haven't been there in quite a while, and now I have a craving. Damn you all.

Okay -- this may get a shudder or two out of some, but I really like some of the soups at Au Bon Pain. Note I said "some". The one that I enjoy the most is their version of Italian Wedding Soup -- little meatballs and orzo and spinach floating nicely in a chicken broth tinged with tomato and oregano. I hardly ever eat at Au Bon Pain unless that soup is around and I used to make it a practice to read their monthly soup cards and note when the Wedding Soup would be available. I no longer work near an ABP -- so alas, my Wedding Soup days are numbered.

I think they do a great version of french onion soup at Brasserie Jo. But that's really River North.

I'll also pile on the Soupbox recommendations. I like their Cream of Chicken Rice...i believe it has wild rice in it too and its a nice warm rich soup.

I love fall!


shannon

Soupbox is a pretty long walk from the Loop.

funkyfrank wrote:Chicken Tortilla Soup in the basement of the Board of Trade Building. Wednesdays only.

I do like that soup! It is a block from my work. so will start going there again. The self serve soup sometimes looks a little messy but I will just go early. Sometimes I have their fish sandwich, the counter lady piles the fish on! Not particually awesome or anything but kind of like eating something you grew up with, certain amount of comfort in eating the fish. Ask for lettuce for the fishwich , it makes it a little better.

There use to be Viet Pho place on Wabash I believe that shut down. Wish I could get Pho closer by. Will do the chili at Macy too.
Might be able to do the long walk to Soupboxon on occasion.
Thanks for the suggestions!

Hands down, Takashi's Noodles. The Ramen w/ double veggies & double 1000 yr. eggs @ 7th Floor of Macy's from on State Street.

Best Bargain, It's like a gallon size bowl for under 10 bucks.

Soupbox is a pretty long walk from the Loop.

Actually -- no. There's a Soupbox in the Ogilvie Center just west of the Loop.

earthlydesire wrote:

Soupbox is a pretty long walk from the Loop.

Actually -- no. There's a Soupbox in the Ogilvie Center just west of the Loop.

Thanks. I had no idea that there was a Soupbox in the Loop.

funkyfrank wrote:Chicken Tortilla Soup in the basement of the Board of Trade Building. Wednesdays only.

This is one of my favorites.

I am also extremely fond of the wild mushroom bisque at Au Bon Pain. Au Bon Pain does exceptionally good work with soups, in general.

Best,
Michael

The Udon at Tokyo Lunch Box. I can only vouch for the one on Vanburen, but there are other locations.

Great on a Winter Day

The tortilla soup at Frontera Express (I think that's the name) on Macy's 7th floor.

I second the suggestion for Frontera's tortilla soup @ Macy's 7th Floor. Yum!

I second Tokyo lunchbox and Macy's 7 floor, also Takumi , the grocery store in there and I'll even hit My Thai for some basic Thai soup( presidential towers). Mac Kellys for take away. Ada's is always reliable for chicken soups.

I'm a fan of both the gazpacho and cream of asparagus soup at Hannah's Bretzel.

funkyfrank wrote:Chicken Tortilla Soup in the basement of the Board of Trade Building. Wednesdays only.

I remember when I use to work for the CBOT and always made sure that I got myself a nice big cup of that soup every week.

They also have (or had since its been a while since I have been down there) a great cold tortellini pasta salad too.

Great topic! I love soup in the loop for lunch! First cold today too!

I second the vote for white chicken chili at the La Brea Bakery in Macy's 7th floor food court. It is outstanding. Comes with tortilla strips and a cilantro cream sauce on top. Have tried to make it at home but cant quite duplicate it. Best soup ever!

I also like the beef chili, the mushroom-brie bisque and the chicken tortilla soup at Ponte Fresco in the Illinois Center pedway, 225 N. Michigan. They have a large selection of soups including red pepper-crab bisque and lobster bisque. On Fridays they have a great Italian wedding soup. This is my go-to place for a big selection of soup.

I really love the seafood gumbo at Shaw's Blue Crab Lounge on Hubbard.

Has no one mentioned the gumbo at Heaven on Seven?

Have you tried the black bean soup at Cafecito? Quite good -- and certainly satisfying -- when it's available.

You have to periodically check here for their soups, but Tuscany Café's Chicken Tortolloni, Spinach and Parmesan soup (which is the special TODAY), is really good. Homemade-tasting, garlicky broth with about 3 generous sized, fluffy tortolloni. They are also careful about constructing their soups to order, such as leaving the pasta or rice off to the side and filling each cup as its ordered (rather than letting them get soggy in the soup), as well as occasionally garnishing the soup with fresh herbs.

jbw wrote:Have you tried the black bean soup at Cafecito? Quite good -- and certainly satisfying -- when it's available.

I tried this today and it was quite good and very hearty. It comes with some toast. A large bowl on a cold day makes a great lunch.

Best,
Michael

This makes me nostalgic for the late Zoop. It originated the concept Soupbox copied and their soups were awesome. AND they delivered; perfect for those sub-zero workdays.

i'm not sure if it counts as soup...but the chili at perry's deli goes back into my lunchtime rotation when the weather becomes too cold for alfresco dining in the park. fyi, it's only available on tuesdays and thursdays.

I have a soft spot for the minestrone at the Italian Village. It's got a nice balance, lots of vegetables, beans, and smooth texture. The kicker is you can add a spoonful of Parmesan from the receptacle at the table (rather than using a shaker, or worse a packet). Also, it's included in the price of the lunch--along with bread sticks. Great way to start off lunch.

I like all of the soups at the Board of Trade cafeteria basically. Their cream of chicken is good too as well as bean, and beef barley. Their fish sandwiches are good and they make a good BLT.

I hit Flatop for the second time in a week's time, it appears they are working out the kinks since my first visit (old Carson's Building on Wabash and Monroe location). They have an option in which you pick out all your ingredients and they will make it into hot and sour or vegetable soup for you. This is one enormous bowl of soup and you can get a piece of roti included.

nicinchic wrote:I hit Flatop for the second time in a week's time, it appears they are working out the kinks since my first visit (old Carson's Building on Wabash and Monroe location). They have an option in which you pick out all your ingredients and they will make it into hot and sour or vegetable soup for you. This is one enormous bowl of soup and you can get a piece of roti included.

I work nearby and was very excited about this, but when I tried it, the results were not great. First of all there are still kinks to be worked out here* and the service was VERY slow, even though I did carry out so as not to have to wait for a table. But even worse: my stir-fried ingredients were dumped into a huge rectangular cardboard carton, and the soup broth was put into a styrofoam cup that was covered with plastic wrap. When I got back to my office I looked the whole thing over and didn't see how it was really going to work to dump the broth into the carton. Then I saw that I had been given no spoon. Okay, if the food was good, I could forgive all that. I decided to sip the broth while I ate the stir-fry, but the broth was foul. Just awful. I ended up throwing it out. It had a chemical taste. (This was the hot and sour broth; very sour, not so much hot.)

A minor point, but I find the huge cartons really annoying (they would fit about three meals), and I resent paying for the elegant black bags they put them in. Throw it in a regular carry out box, and take a dollar off the price, please!

So although I will continue to go for the stir-fry, I don't consider this a decent source of soup.

*Among the kinks, pieces of squash in my stir-fry, which I did not put there; they are cooking so much so fast that people's food is mixing together.

Judy sorry, I should have mentioned, I didn't try the soup, and I have never had carryout. I have been twice for stir fry and the first time was worse than the second, so I thought they may have worked some stuff out.

earthlydesire wrote:Okay -- this may get a shudder or two out of some, but I really like some of the soups at Au Bon Pain. Note I said "some". The one that I enjoy the most is their version of Italian Wedding Soup -- little meatballs and orzo and spinach floating nicely in a chicken broth tinged with tomato and oregano. I hardly ever eat at Au Bon Pain unless that soup is around and I used to make it a practice to read their monthly soup cards and note when the Wedding Soup would be available. I no longer work near an ABP -- so alas, my Wedding Soup days are numbered.

I think they do a great version of french onion soup at Brasserie Jo. But that's really River North.

I'll also pile on the Soupbox recommendations. I like their Cream of Chicken Rice...i believe it has wild rice in it too and its a nice warm rich soup.

I love fall!


shannon

I really like Au Bon Pain's pumpkin soup.

earthlydesire wrote:

Soupbox is a pretty long walk from the Loop.

Actually -- no. There's a Soupbox in the Ogilvie Center just west of the Loop.

yeah I was wondering what they meant by it being so far away. it's not technically "in the loop" but it's not far from it.