Want to heat things up just as the weather is cooling down? After last month’s warm snap, you’re probably craving a warm, cuddly meal. These soups from around NoVA will fit the bill, whether you desire something traditional or a new and modern innovation on the brothy theme.
Vietnamese French Onion Soup, Ellie Bird
Why settle for pho or for French onion soup? They’re a couple of the world’s best potages, but they’re somehow even more of the sum of their parts here. Filled with braised oxtail, then topped with Gruyère-blanketed sourdough croutons, this unctuous, pho-spiced stunner is one for the books. 125 Founders Ave., Falls Church
Wooguhji Tang, Ko Hyang House
“It’s on like a steaming pot of neck bone!” Wrestling catchphrases aside, there are few things more comforting than stewed pork dripping from the bone into a spicy soup. Korean food lovers are surely familiar with the meat-and-potatoes combo of gamjatang, but we love the chile-flecked cabbage soup here even more. 4265 Brookfield Corporate Dr., Chantilly
Matzoh Ball Soup, Chutzpah
Grab a Cel-Ray and get to noshing! This chicken soup will soothe any good soul with its hearty orb of moist matzoh meal. But there’s more than the centerpiece to this bowl of grandmotherly love. There’s plenty of chicken and egg noodles to help you feel full, plus tender carrots, celery, and onions to nourish you. 12214 Fairfax Town Center, Fairfax
Tonkotsu Shio Ramen, Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
Yes, this restaurant is a link in an international chain. But that chain began in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, and for our money, there isn’t a better Japanese noodle soup around. The salty, lip-sticking broth is stewed for at least 20 hours. It boasts amiably al dente noodles, plus some of the most flavorful cha siu pork you’ll find. 1636 Boro Pl., McLean
Luosifen, Yanzi Noodle House
This cult noodle soup is named for the river snails that flavor traditional bowls, but even if you shrink at the idea of exoskeletal critters, you’ll understand the appeal. Yes, snails are boiled into the broth, but you can avoid the meat, all while tasting aromatic orange peel and dried licorice root, among the many ingredients necessary to craft a bowl. 10955 Fairfax Blvd., Fairfax
Sopa de Birria, La China Poblana
On a menu stacked with admirable soups, this colorfully decorated Mexican spot is one of the few restaurants around that does a non-ramen version of birria. You may know the dish by cheesy tacos dipped in red broth, but it started as a soup, usually served with tortillas. This version uses beef, not goat or lamb, but it’s so flavor-packed that we don’t mind. 9792 Center St., Manassas
AYCE hot pot, Supreme Hot Pot
If there’s a more fun way to eat soup than sharing a bubbling tabletop pot with friends, we haven’t found it yet. And in NoVA, our favorite place to get it is this hip Columbia Heights outlet. Choose the Szechuan broth and go for a spice level lower than you think you can handle — this restaurant is Szechuan-owned, after all — then order all the fresh meats, veggies, and noodles you desire. 2301 Columbia Pk., Ste. F, Arlington
Feature image of luosifen at Yanzi Noodle House by Alice Levitt
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