Food Paradise: Soups and Stews

Get Travel's picks for the best soups and stews around including black bean soup, New England Clam Chowder, Ben's famous chili and more.

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Photo By: Getty Images

Photo By: Thinkstock

Photo By: Getty Images

Photo By: Thinkstock

Photo By: Getty Images

Photo By: Thinkstock

Year-round, but especially during the cold winter months, black bean soup is a must. El Azteca in Fort Wayne, Indiana, has been called “one of the best.” And when available as the soup of the day, we’d recommend the black bean soup at Back Porch restaurant on Ocracoke Island, N.C too.

A spicy, hearty and creamy butternut squash soup is always good. Next time you’re in Park City, Utah, whether visiting family and friends, attending the Sundance Film Festival or having a ski adventure, hop over to Good Karma for their butternut squash soup.

A classic: minestrone soup. If you happen to be near or in Indianapolis, head over to Iaria’s Italian Restaurant. Their traditional pasta dinners are all served with homemade minestrone soup and garden salad.

As soon as October is over, everyone’s mind jumps to Thanksgiving. And on a cold fall night, what better way to cap it off than with pumpkin soup? Next time you’re in Portland, Oregon, head over to The Country Cat Dinner House & Bar where they serve a four-course feast during Thanksgiving, which includes pumpkin soup as the starter.

New England is no stranger to cold winter months, and when we need to warm up with a cup or bowl of beef stew, we head over to the New England Soup Factory in Brookline and Newton, Massachusetts.

Mmm… mamma mia! We love Italian meatball soup, especially made by Italians. Outside of Buffalo, N.Y., is Ilio DiPaolo’s. The DiPaolo family has been serving its customers authentic Italian cuisine since 1965. Buon appetito!

Some would say that a trip to New Orleans isn’t complete until you’ve had gumbo and visited Cochon restaurant -- and they happen to make a mean gumbo. Delicious!

On warm days a classic gazpacho is almost necessary. In the city of brotherly love -- Philadelphia -- the authentic Spanish tapas restaurant Amada serves the tomato-based soup.

Who doesn’t love chicken noodle soup? Get this... Asian restaurants have reportedly perfected the art of making free-range chicken noodle soup (pho ga). So the next time you’re in San Francisco, head over to Hai Ky Mi Gia and try their take on chicken noodle soup.

To get an authentic taste of New Orleans’ cuisine, in this case shrimp Creole, you don’t always have to visit the Big Easy. If you happen to be in Las Vegas, head over to Lola’s where the atmosphere is "100 percent New Orleans."

Need some spice in your life? What about this delicious chicken tortilla soup. In Austin, Texas, Mesa Rosa is a favorite when craving the rich chicken stock with chunks of celery, carrots, corn and chicken garnished with avocado and Monterey Jack cheese.

Craving comfort food? You can’t go wrong with this rich and creamy potato bacon soup. At Conor O’Neills in Ann Arbor, Michigan, order their take on the tradition with their potato leek soup, served with homemade Irish soda bread and butter.

Our final soup classic is broccoli and cheese. Everything tastes better with cheese, don’t you think? With six locations in Texas, Hoffbrau Steaks serves a creamy broccoli cheese jalapeno soup. Mmm...

Whether it’s served with or without beans, chili warms the heart and belly. Another American classic restaurant is Ben’s Chili Bowl, a Washington, D.C., institution since 1958. The beef-filled, house-made chili sauce is delicious by itself or served as a decadent french-fry topping.

For a classic New England clam chowder, visit an American classic -- Union Oyster House in Boston -- America’s oldest restaurant, established in 1826.