At Village Ice Cream, customers can drop in all year long for ice cream, soup, or both. “The focus during the summer months is ice cream; in the winter, it’s all about soup,” says owner Therese Macera. “We get our soups from Macera’s in Cranston, where they are prepared daily.” When you visit, expect to find a rotating menu that includes traditional hearty winter soups like pasta fagioli, chowders, beef barley, and split green pea.
“The most popular is Chicken Escarole Soup, with or without pasta, available every day,” says Macera. “I also try to have a vegan soup daily, a vegetable minestrone, or a lentil.” Chicken soup’s nourishing qualities are well-known, and Macara notes that customers treat it “like penicillin. You always have people who come in and say my neighbor or my mom is sick, so I’m going to drop it off on the front steps.” In addition, look for Buono’s breads, direct from the award-winning Providence bakery. “We sell their bread, their biscuits, spinach pies, and pizza strips.” Wickford, Instagram: @villageicecreamco
“Taste global, eat local” is the mantra at Noodle Revolution, which is known for their delicious soups. “Our Beef Pho and Tom Yum, with a choice of ramen, glass noodles, or udon are by far the most popular, thanks to their rich, flavorful broths and generous portions,” says owner Kade Feldman. The restaurant uses locally sourced ingredients whenever possible in these and other soups on the menu, including the Homemade Shrimp Wonton Noodle, Beef Stew Noodle – made of slow-braised beef infused with Chinese herbs – and the classic Chicken Noodle Soup with a choice of rice noodles, ramen, or udon in a shiitake-ginger broth, topped with scallions and sesame-garlic oil.
“Soups are a staple year-round, not just in the colder months,” adds Feldman. “Their popularity comes from their versatility – guests can customize their choice of noodles and proteins, catering to a range of tastes and dietary preferences. For example, our Tom Yum offers a rich, creamy broth with seafood or a lighter, clearer broth with tofu and seasonal vegetables, giving both hearty and refreshing options.” Westerly, NoodleRev.com
Fall soups headline the dining experience at Locanda, where executive chef Jayson Alvarez works his magic. He uses local ingredients to create soups that you won’t find anywhere else. “Fall is my favorite season to cook, with fruits and vegetables like apples and squashes. People love comfort food,” says Alvarez. With soups varying daily, he recommends tomato-based choices, including his Pappa Al Pomodoro, “with big chunks of focaccia. I don’t use a lot of recipes; I try to stay with classic rustic stuff.”
“I’ve been playing around with soups my whole life,” Alvarez continues. “I cook a lot of hearty soups, using squash and pumpkin purees, creamy mushrooms, creamy chicken, diced potatoes, and a lot of beans.” He shares “an old-school trick” that you can try at home: “You take some of your vegetables out with some of your stock, buzz it up in a Vitamix or a hand mixer, then dump it back into your soup. It adds some nice consistency.”
Saunderstown, LocandaRI.com
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