We are (fingers crossed) at the end of a long, hot summer, and while we are rolling into Spooky Season, it’s also the time of year when soup starts to feel like a perfect match for the weather. Of course it’s a year-round option, but it just sounds better in the fall and winter. And while we know most Okies love a little tomato soup with grilled cheese, we decided to add a little international flavor to make things spicier—so here are seven to get you started.
Hacienda Tacos
New Mexico-style Posole
Honestly, choosing between the posole and the green chile stew is tough, but this isn’t about stew. Rather than go with green or red style, Hacienda goes full Christmas chiles with roasted red and green peppers, roasted pork, hominy, onions, tomatoes and peppers. The restaurant also tosses in a couple of fresh tortillas for dipping, or you can get a small order of chips to scoop.
Le Parisien
French Onion Soup
It’s hard to explain why Chef Bryant Gallegos’ food is extraordinary, but it seems he can only make great food, so yes, the French onion soup isn’t just French onion soup. Like everything he does from French toast to gnocchi, it’s phenomenal. It doesn’t hurt our Oklahoma sensibilities that the gratin of Gruyere atop the bowl might seem excessive—it’s not—and the country toast is perfect for finishing off the broth.
Ma Der Lao Kitchen
Khao Soi
Chef Jeff Chanchaleune has a soup schedule at his Plaza District Lao restaurant, and on that schedule you’ll find Khao Soi Thursday. Wide rice noodles in a pork broth with a sauce of minced pork and tomatoes, accompanied by long green beans, cilantro, mint, green onions and sprouts, it’s a slightly spicy, deeply satisfying bowl of umami magic.
Riviere Modern Banh Mi
Pho
With so many places to find great pho in the metro, it’s hard to pick one, but the small batch version they execute at both Riviere locations (Midtown and Edmond) helps them stand out. They make theirs with steak and brisket, and of course it’s accompanied by the standard accoutrements. Also, you can choose braised short rib as a protein option.
Bush League Sports Tavern
Elote Chowder
It’s definitely a non-traditional spin on corn chowder, as the presence of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos dust should attest, but it’s also spicy, hearty and delicious. Bush League starts with roasted corn, red and green (Christmas) chiles and crema, and then adds lime and cilantro to finish it off.
Nunu’s Mediterranean Cafe
Lentil Soup
This Lebanese joint tucked into the north side of West Memorial has quietly produced some of the best food in the city for decades, and that includes its take on lentil soup. Maybe the “special sauce” is the hint of citrus, or maybe it’s just because the family has been making it for generations, but the hearty mix of lentils and mirepoix in a savory broth manages to flip the nostalgia switch even if you didn’t grow up with a Lebanese sitti.
This article appears in Thunder Season Preview.