Served bubbling hot, soon du bu—a concoction ofmarinated soft tofu, onions, clear broth, and chilipowder—will scorch your lips, warm you to thebone, and leave your sinuses clear till spring ($6.95).
2895 Broadway, at 113th Street
212-666-7653
Studded with black beans that seem to dissolve oncontact with your tongue and tasting vaguely of FrootLoops, Banania’s pumpkin soup is a silken,satisfying treat ($6.00).
241 Smith Street, Cobble Hill,Brooklyn
718-237-9100
Thick, savory, and clogged with giant bread crumbs,Cozy’s split-pea soup redefines words likehearty, robust, and even delicious($2.50 small, $3.50 large).
739 Broadway, at AstorPlace
212-477-5566
This Williamsburg haunt, which doubles as a surf shop,may well be the only restaurant in town where you cansign up for a surfing lesson while waiting for thebest New England clam chowder south of Plymouth Rock ($5.50).
218 North 7th Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
718-302-3535
Served on the street from a space the size of a broomcloset, the homemade lentil soup is the perfectantidote to winter—and to the restaurant’schilly lunchtime lines ($3 small, $4 large, $7 jumbo).
172 Crosby Street
212-677-8444