Quick Bites: 5 Scrumptious Soups in the Gables

Okay, so we don’t have the kind of cold winter weather that turns the consumption of soup into a soul-saving event. But it doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a bowl of hot broth that restores life and limb, among the most primitive yet satisfying of the foods we eat. Here are some of the best options around town.

French Onion

Though not a French restaurant, The Globe has perfected certain French pub dishes over the years, including their steak frites and French onion soup. Once the dish of peasants (onions were plentiful and easy to grow), the modern soupe à l’oignon is all about the balance between beef stock, translucent caramelized onions, crusty bread, and melted Gruyère cheese. The Globe has it down ($9).

377 Alhambra Cir.
305.445.3555

Wild Mushroom

As any mycologist knows, there are mushrooms and then there are mushrooms. The fungi used for the Mushroom Bisque at Seasons 52 are not the usual portobello or white mushrooms but darker, more flavorful varieties. The result is a rich, deep taste of the woods, with just 310 calories for a cup ($6.50) or 420 calories for a bowl ($7.50). For true mushroom lovers.

321 Miracle Mile
305.442.8552

Fish Pepper Soup

Peruvian cuisine is among the most diverse in the world, not limited to its most popular export, the marinated raw fish dish of ceviche. Staying within the seafood orbit, Divino Ceviche serves a warm seafood parihuela with shrimp, cod, squid, scallops, mussels, cilantro, lime, and Peruvian panca pepper ($19, $11.50 small) that will lift the heart of any Incan.

160 Giralda Plaza
786.360.3775

Vichyssoise

There are very few places in Miami-Dade County that offer this sophisticated French leek and potato soup, served cold. So, it’s some surprise that it is created brilliantly and daily (it uses fresh cream) at Bugatti’s Bistro, know for its pasta rather than anything French. The flavor, with a hint of fennel and chopped chives, is exquisite ($9).

2504 Ponce de Leon Blvd.
305.441.2545

Shrimp Soup

Shrimp soup, when done right, brings out the essence of the shrimp flavor better than any other way the crustacean is prepared. For us, the zuppa di granchio ($15.95, $16.95 dinner) at Villagio’s is tastier than either crab soup or lobster bisque, with chopped fresh local shrimp in a reduction of celery, onions, garlic, and cream. Plus, you get to sit outside at the Shops at Merrick Park.

360 San Lorenzo Ave.
305.447.8144