5 soups from around the world to try in St. Louis this winter

Comforting, easy to make and nutritious – it’s no wonder that soups and stews feature prominently in most of the world’s cuisines. Thankfully, you don’t need to pack your bags to embark on a global tour of iconic soups and stews: Here are five brothy bowls hailing from a variety of culinary traditions.

Doenjang Jjigae at Joo Joo Restaurant & Karaoke
Joo Joo dedicates a full page of its menu to soups and stews. The doenjang jjigae arrives at your table vigorously boiling in an earthenware pot, and the enticing aroma of this fermented soybean paste stew is sure to whet your appetite. As you poke around, you’ll find the broth is packed with seafood, zucchini, onion and tofu. Flecks of gochugaru, Korean chile flakes, are speckled throughout, adding color to the broth while avoiding the sweat-inducing spice that many Korean stews are known for. Enjoy every sip with a spoonful of rice to temper the potent broth and you’ll quickly feel stuffed from this hearty combination.
12937 Olive Arcade Plaza, Creve Coeur, 314.469.1999, joojoo.us

Sopa de Pollo at Merendero Las Catrachitas
There are just four main components to Merendero Las Catrachitas’ sopa de pollo (chicken soup): chicken, whole potato, carrot and broth. However, take one sip and you’ll find this is a complete meal in itself. The starchy potatoes thicken the broth, but the two chicken drumsticks are the star of the show, with soft, tender meat that falls off the bone. For sides, you’ll receive warm corn tortillas and Honduran rice. The latter is cooked in chicken broth, lending the rice a rich, buttery texture and golden-yellow hue. Add lime juice to brighten the dish and you have a well-balanced meal that will transport you straight to an abuela’s kitchen.
5639 S. Kingshighway Blvd., St. Louis, 314.391.9192, Facebook: Merendero Las Catrachitas

 

 

Gumbo at Who Dat Southern Food Bar & Grill
The kitchen at Who Dat prepares its gumbo with shrimp, chicken sausage, turkey neck and chicken gizzards in a luscious, lip-smacking broth, served over a bed of white rice. Regardless of whether you order the large size or the small, you’ll reach the bottom of your bowl aching for more of the gumbo’s addictive blend of flavors and textures. Complement your gumbo with any of Who Dat’s New Orleans staples, including red beans and rice, jambalaya and po’ boys. Or pay attention to the weekly special: Many regular patrons hold out for the etouffee, offered either with shrimp or shrimp and crawfish.
4247 S. Kingshighway Blvd., St. Louis, 314.202.8068, whodatstl.com

Peanut Soup at House of Jollof
If the upbeat music videos reverberating around House of Jollof’s dining room don’t lift your spirits, the scent of warming spices will. The restaurant’s peanut soup is vegan, but it can also be ordered with your choice of goat, beef or chicken, and an optional side of white rice, jollof rice, waakye or fufu. Choose between three spice levels: mild, hot and extra hot. The broth is simultaneously light and fragrant, with flavor from traditional West African spices. The melt-in-the-mouth chicken variation of the soup would be devoured in minutes, if not for the accompanying fufu. This West African staple is made from a starch such as cassava, yam or plantain. House of Jollof’s fufu is made from a mix of green plantains and cassava which is boiled, pounded and shaped into small pillows with a bouncy texture reminiscent of mochi, only less glutinous. Use your fingers to pinch some of the fufu, then dip it directly into the soup. Don’t be shy – the fufu is served along with a bowl of water for rinsing your fingers after each bite. 
503 Paul Ave., Florissant, 314.384.9153, myhouseofjollof.com

Jahnija at Taste of Bosnia
Elvira Ahmetspahic, the owner of this inviting, quick-serve homestyle restaurant, said Bosnian cuisine uses spices in moderation, relying on long cooking times to extract maximum flavor from meat and vegetables. Taste of Bosnia’s jahnija, a slow-cooked stew of beef, lamb, onion and basic spices, is one such dish. The restaurant serves the stew either with rice or two scoops of slightly chunky mashed potatoes, a pairing that is pure, homey comfort. A thick slice of baked-in-house white bread on the side helps you sop up those precious meat drippings, preventing any flavor from going to waste.
3970 Union Road, Mehlville, 314.329.6223, tasteofbosniastl.com