There’s always soup for you at one of these Utah Valley eateries
The butternut squash soup from Blue Lemon. COURTESY PHOTO
The corn and basil soup from Blue Lemon. COURTESY PHOTO
The tomato bisque soup from Blue Lemon. COURTESY PHOTO
There’s always soup for you in Utah County, and now is the perfect time to enjoy the consummate fall food. What’s your pleasure: creamy and subtle or flashy and fiery? We’ve searched Utah County for the perfect blends, and here are just a few of our favorites. Prepare to be bowl-ed over.
Blue Lemon
Billing its fare as “pure, clean food with a twist,” Blue Lemon offers a rotating soup of the day, as well as house standbys Tomato Bisque, Butternut Squash, and Fresh Corn and Basil. It might be overdoing it to pair the savory Butternut Squash with the restaurant’s sweet potato fries, but what’s a little overkill, now and then?
— 11073 N. Alpine Hwy., Highland, (801) 756-7993, www.bluelemon.com
Café Rio
It might seem silly to stand in line (often for a really long time) for a small portion of soup, but the chicken tortilla soup at Café Rio is worth the wait. Workers fill a Styrofoam cup with jack cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo and shredded chicken. Then they add hot chicken broth and top it with tortilla strips, cilantro and lime for a steaming cup of tasty goodness.
— 782 N. 800 East, Spanish Fork, and other locations in Utah County, (801) 210-5200, www.caferio.com
La Jolla Groves
The trees dripping lemons in the dining room may remind you of summer, but the restaurant’s onion soup feels just like fall. The roasted onion broth is topped with melted Swiss cheese and a crouton, and still is light enough to work as a precursor to an entrée. The restaurant also serves mushroom soup (chicken stock cooked with crimini mushrooms and herbs) and a Potato and Garden Fresh Leek soup. Light, airy and luscious.
— 4801 N. University Ave., No. 610, Provo, (801) 224-5111, lajollagroves.com
Thai Village
Located in a charming brick home in American Fork, Thai Village offers a number of soups that are both sour and sweet, but our favorite soup is the Tom Kha Gai. It’s a coconut broth cooked with chicken and infused with the citrusy flavors of lime leaf, lemon grass and galanga. You can order a half serving as an appetizer, or a full bowl is filling enough to be an entrée.
— 208 W. Main St., American Fork, (801) 492-7677, www.thaivillageaf.com
Café Zupas
Soup lovers will slurp for joy at the breadth of selection at Café Zupas, a casual eatery where patrons order at the counter. Choices range from the mellow (Tomato Basil with Orzo pasta) to the spicy (Thai Lobster Curry). We love the Wild Mushroom Bisque, a creamy blend of shitake, crimini and button mushrooms. The restaurant has plenty of sandwiches to accompany a meal — a panini like the Pesto Chicken would pair nicely with a number of soups — but the soup can certainly stand on its own.
— 55 S. State St., Orem, (801) 221-7648, and other locations throughout Utah County, www.zupas.com