Food recs: Kansas City’s best soups and stews

Kansas City’s autumn may be off to a warm — or hot — start, but temperatures are supposed to drop into the 30s early next week. That means it’ll be time to break out the Crock-Pots at home (a Kansas City creation!) and order your favorite soups and stews dining out.

But food blogger Mary Bloch says that soups don’t belong to any one season and deserve a spot on any menu year-round.

“You can have cold soups in the summer, corn soup, gazpacho,” Bloch told KCUR’s Up To Date. “And then you can get into the winter and get into the heartier ones.”

For a hearty stew that packs a punch, Bloch recommends visiting Los Alamos in Kansas City’s Westside neighborhood for its pozole, a brothy and zesty Mexican delicacy made with hominy and meat.

“At Los Alamos you go through a cafeteria-style line, which I like, because you can visualize what you’re going to get before you order,” Bloch says.

As executive chef at the pay-it-forward cafe Thelma’s Kitchen, Natasha Bailey is a pro at making soups and stews. She says it’s all about layering flavors to create a dish that is complex yet harmonious.

“To start, I like to use things that are just good for you in general: garlic, onion, carrot, celery’s always kind of my base, then I'll add in ginger and toast my spices,” Bailey says. “So I want everything to work well together. And I like a little spice in my soups; I like to sweat a little.”

Bloch and Bailey were joined by food and drink writer Pete Dulin to offer their picks for Kansas City’s best soups and stews. Plus, find selections submitted by KCUR readers and listeners.

Mary Bloch:

• MuNi — Thom Yum Pozole. The Liberda family, behind Waldo Thai and Buck Tui BBQ, opened MuNi earlier this year. The late-night River Market restaurant and bar fuses non-traditional Thai and Mexican flavors. I suggest the Thom Yum Pozole, which uses lemongrass and galangal for a bright and flavorful twist on the classic Mexican stew.

• Chewology — ramen. Quite possibly my favorite mushroom dish ever is the Three Cup Mushroom Ramen at Chewology in Westport, which uses locally-sourced mushrooms from Mushroom Culture to create a deeply rich broth. And don’t miss the Dan Dan noodles with pork, chili, peppercorn, green onion and cilantro.

• Le Fou Frog and Aixois — French onion soup. It will soon be French onion soup season, and these two restaurants present the classic dish at its finest. Le Fou Frog’s veal stock is sweetened with Port wine and topped with a crouton and melted Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses. Aixois’ version is just as decadent and sublime.  

• Lula Southern Cookhouse — gumbo. The key to a stellar gumbo is a good, rich roux, and this trendy southern restaurant in the Crossroads doesn’t fall short. With chicken, andouille sausage, shrimp, and crab claws over rice, Lula’s “Award Winning Gumbo” is a hearty and flavor-packed meal.
  
• Los Alamos Cocina — pozole. This family-run Mexican restaurant has been operating in Kansas City’s Westside neighborhood for over 20 years. You order through a cafeteria-style line, which gives diners an opportunity to get a visual before deciding what they want. They serve a lovely pozole, a chile and tomato based stew with meat, hominy and fun condiments on top, including radish, cabbage, avocado and lime.

• Jasper’s Italian Restaurant — lobster bisque. This old-school locally-owned restaurant on West 103rd Street serves a lobster bisque “cappuccino” laced with sherry and topped with a sweet white foam. It’s a creative twist on a traditional bisque and is creamy, rich and decadent. (Then stop by Marco Polo’s Italian Market next door for a deli sandwich.)

• Acre — seasonal soups. Both beautiful and delicious, Acre’s soups could be in a museum. Spring pea, smoked tomato, gazpacho, whatever they have on the menu you know will be lovely. Typically, they bring the bowl to you with the condiments in it, and then pour the soup into the bowl at your table.

• Danny Edwards Blvd BBQ — seasonal chili. This lunch-only celebrated barbecue joint on Southwest Boulevard makes a Mexican-style chili on a seasonal basis. It has beans and tender pork, instead of the more typical beef. Get it while you can!

Pete Dulin:

• The Ship — Chicken & Sausage Gumbo. This West Bottoms live music venue and cocktail lounge has a full menu and serves a top-notch gumbo with a dark roux and savory flavors. Preparing a good gumbo can’t be rushed, and the cooks take their time to do it right.

• Los Comales de Rebeca — Caldo de Res. I heard about the beef soup at this hidden gem in Northeast Kansas City from a friend. The rich broth includes hearty chunks of beef, corn on the cob, and vegetables, and reminded me of a similar version my friend’s abuela, or grandma, once made. Pair with the hefty corn tortillas that come with each order.

• Lula Southern Cookhouse —Vidalia Onion Bisque. This onion bisque is made with caramelized Vidalia onions, which are from Georgia and have a sweet and mild flavor. Accompanied by bourbon cream, crispy shallots, melted leek, garlic chive oil, and smoked paprika, this dish is a crowd pleaser.

• Taco Naco — Quesabirria Ramen. This isn’t a place that immediately comes to mind for soup, but don’t sleep on the Quesabirria Ramen topped with brisket, cilantro and onion. Win-win, you also get two birria-style brisket tacos on the side for dipping.

• Blue Nile Cafe — Duba Shorba. This Ethiopian restaurant in the River Market makes Duba Shorba, a butternut squash and red lentil soup seasoned with warm spices. It’s a delicious way to start your meal.

• Novel — Honeynut Squash Soup. Chef-owner Ryan Brazeal describes this seasonal dish as having a “super-concentrated squash flavor more akin to a sweet potato than butternut.” It’s garnished with beluga lentils marinated in a housemade Baharat spice (a warm Eastern Mediterranean blend) and topped with quick-fermented red cabbage seasoned with just a hint of cinnamon.

• Luna Azteca Mexican Grill — Tacos y Caldo. Mama Tina’s soup is made with chicken breast and rice and is garnished with all the fixings like avocado, cilantro and onions. An order comes with two crispy tacos, kind of like soup and a sandwich but better. Tacos and caldo is “giving life,” as the kids say.

• Earl’s Premier — New England clam chowder. This intimate neighborhood seafood spot makes its chowder with Dutch baby potatoes and salt pork and serves it with fried saltines. Ground Control, a new dining concept from Chef Celina Tio at The Belfry, also offers New England clam chowder with herbed oyster crackers.

Natasha Bailey:

• Bōru Asian Eatery — Spicy Miso Bowl. In my home, ramen is the unifier, the sweet spot in a variety of diets. My go-to at this Waldo restaurant is the Spicy Miso Bowl, which includes stewed ground pork, bean curd, shiitake mushrooms, miso bone broth, bean sprouts, scallions and a six-minute egg.

• Baba’s Pantry — rotating selection of soups. Baba’s is always so warm and welcoming. The Palestinian and family-owned deli has a grab-and-go section that goes great with their soups. Soups come in two sizes, 8 ounces and 16 ounces, and are all made in-house, gluten free and vegan. I love their ginger butternut squash soup, lentil soup and tomato basil. Baba’s will get us through the winter.

• Café Provence — Soupe a l’Oignon (French onion soup). Family-owned and operated by the Quellic family for over 20 years, this Prairie Village cafe knocks it out of the park every time. My favorite is the French onion soup with croutons, bacon, gruyere and beef broth. 

• Broken Rice — Bun Bo Dac Biet (spicy beef soup). This delicious Vietnamese restaurant located in a shopping mall in Gladstone offers a variety of tasty eats, from banh mi sandwiches and Thai iced tea, to beef pho with meatballs. My favorite is the spicy beef soup combination with shank, beef brisket, pork ham, pork leg, and pork blood jelly. 

• Waldo Thai — Tom Yum Goong (prawn soup). Stopping by this Northern Thai restaurant in Waldo, which was a 2023 James Beard Award semifinalist, is always a win. Chef and owner Pam Liberda delivers an exquisite dining experience, everytime. I chose to highlight my wintertime favorite, Tom Yum Goong, which is spicy, sweet and sour and uses a dash of coconut milk to add richness. 
  
• You Say Tomato — Aunt Blanche’s Soup. This Midtown cafe offers family meals and Grab-N-Go dishes, plus a rotating menu and Pizza Night every Wednesday with options posted on their website. One of my favorites is Aunt Blanche's Soup with zucchini, tomatoes, basil and sausage. 

Listener recommendations:

• 888 International Market cafe — #32 noodles soup with meatballs
• Conroy’s Public House — Irish beef stew
• Aladdin Cafe, Yafa Cafe and Mediterranean Market— lentil soup
• Little Saigon Cafe — #10 combination pho
• Tavern in the Village — butternut squash bisque
• Sawasdee Thai Cuisine — tom yum
• KC Bier Co. — Bergkäsesuppe (beer cheese soup)
• Hacienda Vieja Mexican Grill — pozole
• Pierpont’s at Union Station — blue corn & sweet corn bisque  

Looking for more?

Check out KCUR’s guides to hot pot and ramen restaurants around Kansas City, from the Adventure! newsletter.