I don’t know about you, but I love good soup. Truly, I am a fan of soups. Go ahead, hide some food in broth, and I’m in. Since it’ll be chilly this week, it’s time to shift into soup mode. There are soups on many a menu in Champaign-Urbana, but these five bowls are absolutely delicious — and especially when it’s cold. I tried to include a soup for everybody: one’s vegetarian, one’s served with chips, and one is a spicy burn-your-mouth-up soup, plus a Mexican beef soup and a surprise soup.
The soup gang’s all here: chicken noodle, broccoli cheddar, beef and vegetable, pho, and a reliably delicious soup of the day.
Pho︱83 Vietnamese
When I want a satisfying soup, I love to go for a bowl of 83 Vietnamese‘s pho. At the The Crossing restaurant, I ordered the pho ($17), which had sliced beef, brisket, and meatballs with rice noodles in a from-scratch beef broth, topped with thinly sliced onions, mint, cilantro, green onions, and jalapeño. Served in a giant bowl, the broth was garlicky, peppery, and delicious. There were so many noodles, hooray, and I loved the sliced beef with slivers of still-crunchy onion. The brisket and meatballs had so much flavor, and the heavy sprinkle of chopped herbs added a lovely freshness. The jalapeño steeped in the broth as I ate, making the soup a bit spicier than it began. This big, yummy bowl of pho is available only for dine-in at the Vietnamese restaurant where Mama Lam and her son cook up cozy food.
Some places have variations on pho, but 83 Vietnamese has only one pho: this one. It’s awesome, and there’s no way to mess up which version to order here. The restaurant has plenty of tables inside, and they offer wine in addition to beer by Triptych and Riggs, too.
83 Vietnamese
2502 Village Green Place
Champaign
M-Sa 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Soup of the Day︱Hamilton Walker’s
Most entrees at Hamilton Walker’s come with soup or salad, and I don’t think I’ve ever chosen the salad because Chef Zach’s soup is always delicious. At the ritzy Neil Street steakhouse‘s bar one evening, I ordered the soup of the day ($5 for a cup); this one was beef and potato. The broth’s seasoning was spot on. Of course, the steakhouse’s steak tasted so good, and the smashed red potato sopped up the savory broth. The parsley was finely chopped, so it easily dissolved into the broth, adding herby flavor to every slurp. I love to drag a slice of the complementary Central Illinois Bakehouse baguette along the bottom of the bowl to sop up every last drop.
The soup of the day rotates, obviously, and it’s a surprise until a server says what it is. Honestly, I don’t care what the soup is — doesn’t matter if it’s creamy or broth-based, veggie or meaty, with corn, with chicken, or with beef — I’m getting it. The soup is also available in a larger size for $8. The bartenders here make a killer gin martini in addition to classic cocktails, so belly up to the Downtown Champaign bar for soup and a drink.
Hamilton Walker’s
201 N Neil St
Champaign
T-Th 4 to 8:30 p.m.
F+Sa 4 to 9 p.m.
Su 4 to 8:30 p.m.
Caldo de Res︱La Mixteca
La Mixteca in Urbana serves a few soups including an amazing pozole, but I really love the caldo de res ($16.99). This beef soup had soft potato, zucchini, carrots, and bone-in beef in a red broth with onions, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges on the side. The broth had a delicious heat that was not overly spicy but packed a peppery punch that matched the soup’s hot temperature; my body and my soul were satisfyingly warm as I ate. The hearty soup had incredibly flavorful beef that was tender enough to eat with a spoon. Some bites were stringy pulled beef, some had chewier parts, and some were soft, fatty morsels. I added a squeeze of lime juice to cut the soup’s fatty, meaty richness, and it tasted so good I did a little dance in my chair.
And, it was served with a side of free chips, that’s what’s up. The Urbana Mexican restaurant is in the same plaza as El Oasis, San Miguel Panaderia, Ashar African Market, and the new Sepelas restaurant.
La Mixteca
510 North Cunningham Ave
Urbana
M-F 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sa-Su 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup︱Rick’s Bakery
Rick’s Bakery has delicious cake, doughnuts, and tamales, but the Downtown Urbana bakery also offers a soup of the day now that the weather is cooler. There’s just one soup option available, and on the day I went, it was broccoli cheddar. I ordered a bowl of it ($5), which came with four slices of soft white baguette. The portion was big for the price, and Rick’s broccoli cheddar had a thin broth flecked with florets and grated carrot. This creamy broth tasted so much of broccoli, and I loved it. That sweet, earthy flavor dominated as it should, and the little chops of broccoli throughout tasted awesome. The green veg was on the edge of mush, soft and delicate and very easy to bite. The soup was more creamy than cheesy; there was no cheese pull, but there was a nice cheddar flavor.
Free bread on the side was a yummy touch especially at a bakery. So soft and airy, the bread was almost weightless, like a cloud encrusted in a thin bread crust. There are savory things on the menu regularly, but Rick’s Bakery only serves soups seasonally, so now’s the time to go for whatever soup is scribbled on the chalkboard menu.
Rick’s Bakery and Café
124 W Main Street
Urbana
T-Sa 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mama Noodle Soup︱Thara Thai
At Thara Thai in Champaign, I ordered the soup my server recommended: Mama noodle soup ($17.99), and it’s the chicken noodle soup for me. Made with sliced chicken with udon noodles, bean sprouts, chopped green onions, and fresh cilantro, this brothy soup was absolutely incredible. I ordered this medium, and Thara Thai does not mess around with spice. The thin broth was dotted with red oil and pepper seeds and super spicy from the very first slurp. This soup stung my tongue and had my nose running. It was both too scaldingly hot in temp to rush and too spicy to eat in any way but slowly and intentionally. The crunch on the cilantro stems and green onions were nice with the heat. When my mouth was on fire, I sought out the mild chicken because the thick noodles were no relief from the spiciness; the soft, doughy udon just absorbed the broth’s red hot flavor.
Served with a fork, spoon, and chopsticks, this Thai chicken noodle soup was a gigantic bowl that felt impossible to finish and yet I did, happily, because it was amazing. My server brought a side bowl of hot chili paste to add to my soup if I wanted to (which I did not). I like spicy food, but it’s possible to order this mild. I overheard the table behind me ask for no spice please, and I heard no crying when she ate the pad Thai, so.
Thara Thai
912 1/2 Bloomington Road
Champaign
T–Sa 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Su 12 noon to 9 p.m.
