Best Cold Soups In Los Angeles
Los Angeles is one of the few cities that get hotter during September. While some parts of the country may be at the start of what will soon be full-blown fall, Angelenos are toughing it out in the heat. Instead of popsicles and ice cream, soup offers another way to stay cool when the weather is scorching. Here are a few soups to try that will keep your internal body temperature at safe levels.
Sirena
8265 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 852-7000
www.sirenarestaurant.com
Gazpacho is a summer classic thanks to the availability of sweet, flavorful tomatoes. At Sirena, Chef Sandy Gendel serves her version with a cooling chile-lime crème fraîche. If you want to bump it up and create an even more filling meal, add ceviche to the mix to transform a starter dish into a light meal.
Cecconi's
8764 Melrose Avenue
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 432-2000
www.cecconiswesthollywood.com
At Cecconi's, you will find another tomato soup, but this one is smooth and topped with avocado and basil pesto. Chef Andrea Cavaliere's soup utilizes San Marzano tomatoes that have been produced especially for the restaurant and slow-roasted in a wood-burning oven to further enhance their flavor. Once blended, they serve as the base for a satisfying soup.
Related: Best Lemonade In Los Angeles
Le Ka
800 West 6th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 688-3000
lekarestaurant.com
Each day, Le Ka serves a vegan soup featuring market fresh ingredients. One of the rotating soups on the menu is a chilled eggplant soup with kalamata olives and basil. The creamy soup's use of Mediterranean ingredients adds a fresh aspect to each spoonful.
Ma Dang Gook Soo
869 South Western Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90005
(213) 487-6008
Admittedly, this dish may be more noodle-focused, but it counts as a great option for a warm day because the liquid around the noodles is super cold. The nutty broth is thick and frothy and covers a mound of soybean noodles you can enjoy with a couple of chopsticks. Share the hearty serving with a friend, and you'll both be as cool -- perhaps even cold -- as a cucumber.
Related: Best Ice Cream Sandwiches In LA
Warszawa
1414 Lincoln Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 393-8831
www.warszawarestaurant.com
Beets can form the base of a creamy, beautiful soup, and Warszawa's Polish borscht is just that. With a dollop of sour cream on top, it can be quite the cooler in the warmer months. Warszawa swaps back and forth between a hot or cold borscht depending on the season, so make your way there just in time for the latter.
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Chrystal Baker is a freelance food, events, culture travel contributor for CBS Los Angeles, Basil Magazine, Frugivore Magazine and Politic365. She is the co-editor of a recipe blog, The Duo Dishes, and manages her own lifestyle and travel blog, Any and Everywhere, as well as the Farm 2 Plate Culinary Club site.
