Hot Dish: Three Local Soups to Dip Your Spoons Into

As the San Diego nights begin to get chilly, warm up with these three soups that tap into seasonal comforts.

The Ribollita at Catania

Catania chef Ryan Johnston’s homage to fond memories of eating Ribolita in Florence starts with local farmers’ market vegetables like California-grown black kale from Tamai Family Farms, which adds sweetness to his version of this hearty Tuscan-style vegetable and bread soup.

The Cauliflower Bisque at AVANT

The Cauliflower Bisque at AVANT starts with cauliflower plucked from the chef’s garden at the Rancho Bernardo Inn. The creamy soup is poured tableside on top of a quenelle of housemade crème fraîche whipped with lemon zest and toasted caraway, finished with a generous scoop of smoked salmon roe, dill oil, and fresh dill. 

The French Onion Soup at Little Frenchie

Little Frenchie in Coronado starts its French Onion Soup by roasting beef shank bones and simmering them in aromatics overnight. Then they add onions—caramelized for over six hours—plus garlic, chopped thyme, Port wine, dry sherry, and Madeira wine to the rich beef broth. The soup is topped with bread from local bakery Prager Brothers and Emmental and French-aged Comté cheese.