The arrival of winter weather in Shreveport-Bossier, like in much of the deep south, usually means that temperatures dip into the 60’s for a few weeks. Nevertheless, many local restaurants excel at creating soups, stews, gumbos and other steaming-hot comfort foods that are a perfect defense against the occasional encounter with genuinely cold weather.
The list that follows contains just a few of our favorite local soups. We’ve omitted gumbos from the list because, honestly, that’s a separate blog post entirely!
Hot & Sour Soup at Lucky Palace
750 Diamond Jacks Blvd.
Bossier City, LA
(318) 752-1888
At $1.50 for a cup, the first soup on our list is also the most affordable. Lucky Palace is an off-the-beaten-path gem of a restaurant that has collected accolades from publications like Wine Spectator and Louisiana food authorities like Chef John Besh. Like so much on the menu, this powerfully rich soup is a common menu item executed uncommonly well. It’s a complex soup, and includes tofu, bamboo shoots, vinegar and chili peppers. ($1.50 per Cup)
Crawfish Corn Chowder at The Real Pickle
855 Pierremont Road
Shreveport, LA
(318) 869-0931
The crawfish corn chowder at The Real Pickle Deli may be difficult to photograph, but it’s easy to eat. The rich, creamy broth is so thick that the mushrooms, crawfish tails and bits of sweet corn that go into the chowder just hang suspended in it. Try it with a mug of Abita or, for that matter, any of the approximately 125 beers that are served here. ($4.75 Cup/$6.75 Bowl)
Tarasca Soup at Tacomania Cantina
641 E. Kings Hwy
Shreveport, LA
(318) 868-4588
There are two soups on the menu at Tacomania Cantina in Shreveport. I love soup, but I have no idea what Rick’s Black Bean Soup tastes like. That’s because I can’t bring myself to not order this Tarasca Soup. My friend Angie White, head of Slow Food of Northwest Louisiana, declared her love for it this way: “It’s essentially their chicken tortilla soup, but the broth is so good it could bring the dead back to life. And they throw in avocado slices and melted cheese – mmm!” Preach on, Angie. ($4.50 Cup/$8.50 Bowl)
Sancocho at Sabores Dominican Restaurant
3325 Industrial Drive
Bossier City, LA
(318) 635-9738
If you’ve ever wondered why Sabores Dominican Restaurant in Bossier City only serves sancocho on Sunday, have a look at a recipe for sancocho. Making this complex soup more than once a week might just drive their kitchen staff crazy. But for all of the exotic ingredients that go into it, Sabores’ sancocho ends up tasting like chicken soup’s rich, well-traveled cousin. It’s as good of an entry point to Dominican food as you’ll likely find anywhere in the deep south.
Tomato Basil Soup at Good Eats
333 Texas Street, Suite 125 (located inside of the Regions Tower)
Shreveport, LA
(318) 220-7600
If you’re in downtown Shreveport and seeking a salad or a bowl of soup for lunch, Good Eats is a great place to start. The tomato basil soup that is offered as a complimentary side dish with sandwiches, wraps and paninis is a textbook example of something simple done extremely well. One word of warning: It comes out of the kitchen piping hot. It’d be a shame to burn your tongue and not be able to taste the simple, awesome combination of tomatoes, olive oil, basil and spices. ($4.95 Bowl)
Please let us know in the comments if we’ve overlooked your favorite Shreveport-Bossier soup!
