January is National Soup Month, and these New Jersey restaurants are waiting to pour you a bowl of hot, delicious goodness.
Carrot Ginger Bisque, B2 Bistro • Point Pleasant
This soup will surely warm you up with its blend of orange, tarragon, cream, black pepper gastrique and hearty spices, maximizing the classic partnership of carrot and ginger.
709 Arnold Avenue, Point Pleasant Beach; 732-295-0709
Creamy Crab Soup, Pic-A-Lilli Inn • Shamong
Seafood soups are often identified with summer, but this one, from an inn that dates back to the 1920s, is made for winter. The crab base is thick and rich, the flavor fresh. It’s available for takeout in pints and quarts.
866 US-206, Shamong; 609-268-2066
Clam Chowders, The Bonney Read • Asbury Park
No need to choose between New England and Manhattan: The Bonney Read offers both. The New England is classically creamy, the Manhattan is packed with veggies. An authentic Irish pub—not to mention one of New Jersey Monthly’s favorite restaurants in Asbury Park—the Bonney Read also offers a lobster bisque.
525 Cookman Avenue, Asbury Park; 732-455-3352
Spicy Miso, Ani Ramen • Multiple Locations
Enjoy a classic miso soup with a twist. Packed with kakuni (pork belly), cabbage, chives and scallions, the soup is topped with roasted chili oil for a piquant accent guaranteed to keep you warm. Ani Ramen has locations in Cranford, Jersey City, Maplewood, Montclair, Newark, New Brunswick, Princeton and Summit, and is a favorite among readers in our most recent Jersey Choice Restaurant Poll.
Stock Pots, Fresh Kitchen • Multiple Locations
With locations in Sea Girt and Point Pleasant, guests can sip hearty and healthy stock-pot soups. Flavors include Southwest (made with rice and black beans), the Boot (beets and quinoa), North American (carrots, onions and celery) and more. Each bowl is topped with fresh greens.
Vegan Soups, Shaka • Hoboken
Chef Kiersten Gormeley, a Chopped winner in 2021, is offering vegan options, including butternut squash and chili. They’re made in-store with fresh ingredients. Both are nut- and gluten-free.
720 Monroe Street & 110 Washington Street, Hoboken; 201-253-0626
French Onion Soup, The Black Swan Public House • Asbury Park
At this gastropub opened in 2021, Chef James Avery is serving a classic French Onion Soup. His version is fortified with chunks of sourdough bread and covered in a layer of Irish cheddar and Emmental cheese and topped with chives.
601 Mattison Avenue, Asbury Park; 732-361-7159
Spicy Black Bean Soup, Choc-O-Pain • Multiple Locations
This Hoboken- and Jersey City-based eatery is known for its baked goods and pies, but there’s more. The spicy black bean soup is topped with corn and goes well with Choc-O-Pain’s fresh-baked bread.
Chicken Noodle Soup, Giovanna’s Cafe • Ramsey
With an atmosphere of comfort, this woman-owned café is serving fresh-made soup with ditalini pasta, hand-shredded chicken and fresh vegetables in a housemade broth—the perfect antidote to a cold day.
19 E. Main Street, Ramsey; 201-825-5835
Lobster Bisque, TerraNova • Sewell
Start your meal with a decadent soup at this South Jersey eatery. TerraNova’s creamy lobster bisque adds luxury to its taste of the sea.
590 Delsea Drive, Sewell; 856-589-8883
Kai Yang • Montclair
Have a bowl with a Thai twist. The Tom Kha soup is made with coconut milk, lemongrass, mushroom, red onion and scallion. You have the option to add chicken, vegetables and shrimp.
345 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair; 973-509-2110