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French onion soup at Bloomsday
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10 Soups to Seek Out in Philadelphia

Chicken with matzo balls, clam chowder, French onion, and more soups that stand out in Philly

by Sarah Maiellano
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French onion soup at Bloomsday
| Bondfire Media Relations
by Sarah Maiellano

It’s winter. It gets dark early and it’s (sometimes) cold out. That means warm, cozy meals are calling. Throughout these chilly East Coast months, soup is just the ticket. This guide includes 10 local soup stars, including some of the best takes on French onion and clam chowder, along with rarities like a mustard-based soup and a historic dish made with snapping turtles. Philly restaurants are also known for their steaming bowls of pho, ramen, and sundubu jjigae — there are too many great options to include here, so find those on the Vietnamese food, Korean food, and ramen maps.

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Tomato Bisque and African Peanut Soup at Café Lutécia

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On a Fitler Square corner, Valérie Blum’s French cafe has been a neighborhood mainstay for decades. Known for its soups, Cafe Lutecia’s creamy tomato bisque and African chicken peanut soups are both favorites. Slurp one up alongside a slice of quiche or a sandwich on French bread.

2301 Lombard St, Philadelphia, PA 19146
(215) 790-9557
(215) 790-9557

Clam Chowder at Oyster House

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Sansom Street’s Oyster House, which has been cranking out quality seafood dishes for decades now, serves its clam chowder two ways: creamy New England-style with bacon or a tomato-based Manhattan version. Both feature fresh local clams. Chef Aaron Gottesman estimates that the kitchen goes through eight to 10 gallons of chowder a day. Enjoy a bowl with crunchy oyster crackers.

1516 Sansom St, Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 567-7683
(215) 567-7683
three bowls of soup seen from overhead Jason Varney

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Mustard Soup at Noord

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A condiment soup may sound strange, but Noord’s mustard soup is a longstanding favorite on this East Passyunk Avenue BYOB’s Scandinavian menu. Chef Joncarl Lachman combines mustard with carrots, cream, chicken stock, caraway, and onions to create this soup, which is topped with a seared scallop, a rye crouton, pickled mustard seeds, and a drizzle of tarragon oil.

Another condiment-based soup worth trying: the pickle soup at Mom-Mom’s Kitchen in Bridesburg.

1046 Tasker St, Philadelphia, PA 19148
(267) 909-9704
(267) 909-9704

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Consomme at South Philly Barbacoa

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Known for her orange-infused lamb barbacoa tacos, South Philly Barbacoa’s Cristina Martinez doesn’t let even the drippings of the delectable meat go to waste. She turns them into a bright consommé with rice and chickpeas. It’s perfect on its own or alongside those famous tacos.

1140 S 9th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 694-3797
(215) 694-3797

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Tortilla Soup at Blue Corn

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The Italian Market’s Blue Corn does a lot of things right and one of them is its classic tortilla soup. The soup’s bright red tomato broth is full of fried tortilla strips, crema, cheese, slices of avocado, and dried pasilla pepper.

In Rittenhouse, El Rey offers a different take on this classic, with chicharron and cubes of panela.

940 S 9th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 925-1010
(215) 925-1010

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Shaved Noodle Soup at Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House

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At Chinatown’s no frills Nan Zhou, the choice is yours: long, hand-drawn noodles or wide, flat, shaved noodles in one of nearly two dozen soups. First timers should try the ribbony shaved noodles in beef brisket soup and then branch out into lamb, oxtail, and more.

1022 Race St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 923-1550
(215) 923-1550

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Matzo Ball Soup at Famous 4th Street Delicatessen

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Bigger is better at Famous 4th Street, where the kitchen plunks a baseball-sized matzo ball into its chicken broth along with bowtie noodles, kreplach (dumplings), kasha, rice, and carrots. This bowl serves two to three people for $19.

Find more chicken soup with matzo balls or noodles at Hershel’s East Side Deli in Reading Terminal Market, Schlesinger’s or Rachael’s Nosheri in Rittenhouse, and pretty much anywhere on this Jewish deli map.

700 S 4th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 922-3274
(215) 922-3274

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French Onion Soup at Bloomsday

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Bloomsday’s French onion soup starts with a stock made from dark roasted Primal Supply beef bones and caramelized onions deglazed with apple brandy. It’s served in the traditional way, in a crock with plenty of melted cheese on top.

Find this French favorite at several other Philly spots, including Gabi, Parc, and Oregon Diner.

414 S 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
(267) 319-8018
(267) 319-8018

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Snapper Soup at Elwood

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People often think this historically significant soup is fish-based, but it’s actually made with snapping turtles (not snapper fish). Snapper soup has been found in Philadelphia restaurants since Colonial days, so it’s not surprising to spot it on the menu at Adam Diltz’s history-focused Elwood in Fishtown. The chef uses 15-pound local turtles to make the thick brown soup and serves it in an elegant crock with sherry on the side.

Worth noting: The Olde Bar and Oyster House are also known for snapper soup.

1007 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125
(215) 279-7427
(215) 279-7427

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Sicilian Fisherman Stew at Zeppoli

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The seafood soup at Joey Baldino’s Zeppoli in Collingswood is no appetizer. Packed with tender Mediterranean fish and shellfish, this fisherman stew is a full meal. The light tomato-infused broth is flavored with saffron and dotted with Tunisian couscous in a nod to the cultural melting pot of Sicily.

618 W Collings Ave, Collingswood, NJ 08107
(856) 854-2670
(856) 854-2670

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Tomato Bisque and African Peanut Soup at Café Lutécia

2301 Lombard St, Philadelphia, PA 19146

On a Fitler Square corner, Valérie Blum’s French cafe has been a neighborhood mainstay for decades. Known for its soups, Cafe Lutecia’s creamy tomato bisque and African chicken peanut soups are both favorites. Slurp one up alongside a slice of quiche or a sandwich on French bread.

2301 Lombard St, Philadelphia, PA 19146
(215) 790-9557
(215) 790-9557

Clam Chowder at Oyster House

1516 Sansom St, Philadelphia, PA 19102

Sansom Street’s Oyster House, which has been cranking out quality seafood dishes for decades now, serves its clam chowder two ways: creamy New England-style with bacon or a tomato-based Manhattan version. Both feature fresh local clams. Chef Aaron Gottesman estimates that the kitchen goes through eight to 10 gallons of chowder a day. Enjoy a bowl with crunchy oyster crackers.

1516 Sansom St, Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 567-7683
(215) 567-7683
three bowls of soup seen from overhead Jason Varney

Mustard Soup at Noord

1046 Tasker St, Philadelphia, PA 19148

A condiment soup may sound strange, but Noord’s mustard soup is a longstanding favorite on this East Passyunk Avenue BYOB’s Scandinavian menu. Chef Joncarl Lachman combines mustard with carrots, cream, chicken stock, caraway, and onions to create this soup, which is topped with a seared scallop, a rye crouton, pickled mustard seeds, and a drizzle of tarragon oil.

Another condiment-based soup worth trying: the pickle soup at Mom-Mom’s Kitchen in Bridesburg.

1046 Tasker St, Philadelphia, PA 19148
(267) 909-9704
(267) 909-9704

Consomme at South Philly Barbacoa

1140 S 9th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147

Known for her orange-infused lamb barbacoa tacos, South Philly Barbacoa’s Cristina Martinez doesn’t let even the drippings of the delectable meat go to waste. She turns them into a bright consommé with rice and chickpeas. It’s perfect on its own or alongside those famous tacos.

1140 S 9th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 694-3797
(215) 694-3797

Tortilla Soup at Blue Corn

940 S 9th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147

The Italian Market’s Blue Corn does a lot of things right and one of them is its classic tortilla soup. The soup’s bright red tomato broth is full of fried tortilla strips, crema, cheese, slices of avocado, and dried pasilla pepper.

In Rittenhouse, El Rey offers a different take on this classic, with chicharron and cubes of panela.

940 S 9th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 925-1010
(215) 925-1010

Shaved Noodle Soup at Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House

1022 Race St, Philadelphia, PA 19107

At Chinatown’s no frills Nan Zhou, the choice is yours: long, hand-drawn noodles or wide, flat, shaved noodles in one of nearly two dozen soups. First timers should try the ribbony shaved noodles in beef brisket soup and then branch out into lamb, oxtail, and more.

1022 Race St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 923-1550
(215) 923-1550

Matzo Ball Soup at Famous 4th Street Delicatessen

700 S 4th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147

Bigger is better at Famous 4th Street, where the kitchen plunks a baseball-sized matzo ball into its chicken broth along with bowtie noodles, kreplach (dumplings), kasha, rice, and carrots. This bowl serves two to three people for $19.

Find more chicken soup with matzo balls or noodles at Hershel’s East Side Deli in Reading Terminal Market, Schlesinger’s or Rachael’s Nosheri in Rittenhouse, and pretty much anywhere on this Jewish deli map.

700 S 4th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 922-3274
(215) 922-3274

French Onion Soup at Bloomsday

414 S 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19147

Bloomsday’s French onion soup starts with a stock made from dark roasted Primal Supply beef bones and caramelized onions deglazed with apple brandy. It’s served in the traditional way, in a crock with plenty of melted cheese on top.

Find this French favorite at several other Philly spots, including Gabi, Parc, and Oregon Diner.

414 S 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
(267) 319-8018
(267) 319-8018

Snapper Soup at Elwood

1007 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125

People often think this historically significant soup is fish-based, but it’s actually made with snapping turtles (not snapper fish). Snapper soup has been found in Philadelphia restaurants since Colonial days, so it’s not surprising to spot it on the menu at Adam Diltz’s history-focused Elwood in Fishtown. The chef uses 15-pound local turtles to make the thick brown soup and serves it in an elegant crock with sherry on the side.

Worth noting: The Olde Bar and Oyster House are also known for snapper soup.

1007 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125
(215) 279-7427
(215) 279-7427

Sicilian Fisherman Stew at Zeppoli

618 W Collings Ave, Collingswood, NJ 08107

The seafood soup at Joey Baldino’s Zeppoli in Collingswood is no appetizer. Packed with tender Mediterranean fish and shellfish, this fisherman stew is a full meal. The light tomato-infused broth is flavored with saffron and dotted with Tunisian couscous in a nod to the cultural melting pot of Sicily.

618 W Collings Ave, Collingswood, NJ 08107
(856) 854-2670
(856) 854-2670

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