When you hear the word soup, what comes to mind?
Whether it’s ramen, pozole, or clam chowder, soup evokes nostalgia for nearly everyone in every culture. These warm, savory bowls comforted and healed us time after time, regardless of our moods. Treasured across a wide swatch of the the world and human history, soups provide great insights into the cultures they come from.
To scratch the surface of all the diverse cuisine in the city I live in, I tried many soups, stews, chowders, curries, and everything in between. Here are 26 of my favorite soups in Long Beach.
Ammatoli - Lentil Soup
Ammatoli, located in Downtown Long Beach, is easily one of the city’s best restaurants, serving unparalleled Levantine cuisine in the region and regularly landing on L.A. Time’s 101 Best Restaurants list. Though I’m a fan of their mezzes across the board, their lentil soups deserve a spotlight. In particular, the green lentil soup is a delight when paired with a handful of crispy pita chips and a squeeze of lemon juice. And if you've ordered a side of freshly baked pita–you’ve got yourself a hearty, yet healthy, meal.