Your Guide to Soup from A to Z: Ajiaco to Bouillabaisse to Chicken Noodle

Ah, soup. Quite possibly the best food for a freezing cold day. There are creamy ones, brothy ones, spicy ones, hearty ones, and straight-up exotic ones that you've never even heard of before. But, we're here to help and help warm you up. Now, the next time you're hankering for a soul-warming bowl of goodness, refer to this soup dictionary of Manhattan.

A - Ajiaco: A Colobmian chicken and potato soup. Recommend: Bogota Latin Bistro, Park Slope, Brooklyn

B - Bouillabaisse: A French seafood soup. Recommend: Marseille, Theater District

C - Chicken Noodle: All-American chicken, noodles and vegetables in a broth. 

D - Ddukguk: Korean rice cake soup traditionally served for Korean New Year. Recommend: Gahm Mi Oak, Koreatown

E - Egg drop soup: A traditional Chinese favorite of broth and beaten egg

F - French Onion soup: A traditionally French soup of oinion and beef broth topped with cheese. Recommend: Cafe Dalsace, Upper East Side

G- Goulash: A Hungarian stew of meat, noodles and vegetables. Recommend: Cafe Sabarsky, Upper East Side

H - Ham and Potato soup: A classic Southern rich, creamy soup of ham and potato. Recommend: Hale and Hearty

I - Italian Wedding Soup: A hearty Italian-American soup of ground meat and vegetables. Recommend: Gottscheer Hall Tap Room, Queens

J- Jambalaya: A Creole dish of Spanish and French influence and can be found incorporated into soups.

K - Kimchi soup: A spicy Korean stew made with kimchi, pork and tofu. Recommend: Gahm Mi Oak, Koreatown

L - Lentil soup: A creamy soup of lentils and herbs. Recommend: ABC Kitchen, Flatiron District

M - Matzo Ball: A traditional Jewish soup of matzo balls and broth. Recommend: 2nd Ave Deli, Murray Hill

N - New England Clam Chowder: A cream-based chowder made of potatoes, bacon and clams. Recommend: Pearl Oyster Bar, West Village

O - Oxtail Stew: There are variations of oxtail stew in different countries, but it's generally a hearty braised dish of oxtail. Recommend: Sophie's Cuban, Midtown West

P - Pho: A Vietnamese noodle soup made of rice noodles, beef and beef broth with various spices including: star anise, cinnamon and black cardamom. Recommend: Pho Banc, Chinatown

Q - Quail Egg in Saigon Style Egg Noodle Soup (Mi Saigon): Just what the name of the soup says. Recommend:  Bao Noodles, Gramercy

R - Ramen: A Japanese noodle dish that might be one of the best things you ever put in your mouth… especially if it's from Ippudo. Recommend: Ippudo, East Village

S - Sukiyaki: The Japanese know their soups--this one's a hot pot style noodle dish with meat and vegetables and a broth mixture of soy sauce, sugar and mirin.

T - Tortilla Soup: A tomato-based Mexican soup with chicken, avocado, cheese and lime, usually topped with crispy tortilla strips.

U - Udon: A Japanese hot noodle soup consisting of a thick wheat-flour noodle in a mildly flavored broth of dashi, soy sauce and mirin.

V - Vegetable soup: Sometimes a classic is always best.

W - Wonton Soup: A Chinese dumpling soup in a chicken broth. Recommend: Any hole-in-the-wall Chinese joint

X - If you can tell us a soup that begins with X, we'll love you forever.

Y - Yellow Pea Soup: A Swedish soup, traditionally served on Thursdays, made from dried yellow peas.

Z - Zurek: A Polish rye meal soup with sausage. Recommend: Lomzynianka, Greenpoint, Brooklyn


While the 1st Look team has scoured the city and surrounding areas for the best of the best, we surely haven't been to 'em all! Leave your recommendations in the comments section below and we might add them to the list!