10 Best Regional Soups
All of us Road Trips Foodies know that soup is a tasty staple around the world.
Lonely Planet has decided that these are the 10 best soup flavors and the best place to sample each:
1. Pho, Hanoi, Vietnam
Beef noodle soup for breakfast? Once you’ve tasted a good pho, you’ll crave it for lunch and dinner, too, Lonely Planet reports.
2. Locro de Papas, Andean Highlands, Ecuador
Given this land is the home of the potato, LP notes, it’s no surprise the traditional hot belly-filler in these parts is hearty locro de papas – potato soup.
3. Borscht, Ukraine
You’ll find the greatest glut of borscht recipes in Ukraine, LP says, which differ from Kiev to Lviv to Odessa.
4. Obe Ata, Nigeria
Not sure if most of us are ready for the fiery beast known as obe ata. It typically includes Scotch bonnet chillies and maybe tripe, dried fish and the whole head of a goat.
5. Waterzooi, Ghent, Belgium
Although it’s traditionally made with seafood, chicken seems to be the preferred ingredient these days for that Flemish soup called waterzooi.
6. Cullen Skink, Morayshire, Scotland
Ingredients for this Scots staple include smoked Finnan haddock, Buchan tatties, plus onions and cream.
7. Callaloo, Trinidad
Trinidad itself is a bit of a soup, with African, Indian, Spanish, French, Chinese and Native American influences stirred together (something like callaloo).
8. Clam Chowder, New England, USA
In the kitchens of New England, reports LP, clam chowder is clams plus cream. Period.
9. Gazpacho, Andalucía, Spain
During the stultifying Andalucían summer, LP reports, when the tomatoes and peppers are at their very ripest, and when all you can face eating is something refreshing and cool, gazpacho is just the dish to tantalize torpid tastebuds.
10. Ajiaco, Bogotá, Colombia
Begin your dinner with a bowl of ajiaco santafereño and you’ll be too full to eat any more.
What regional soups would you add to their list? My additions would start with Italy’s minestrone, France’s vichyssoise and Thailand’s tom yum (pictured, above left).
