Saturday, September 15, 2012

The Soup Box

Location: 50 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
Soupbox on Urbanspoon Soupbox on Urbanspoon

(I have added a couple of links to multiple locations... I have personally been to both and the experience is the same.)

A Quick Word:
I think the Soupbox is one of the better small time restaurants in Chicago offering a quick, affordable, and healthy lunch.  For well under $10, you can get a nice cup of soup and bread that is much better than Panera Bread and also much tastier.  Sometimes I wish they offered more of a variety, but I can understand why they only want to rotate a few of the options.  I did find some of the soups to be a little too creamy, but overall, all the options are somewhat unique and definitely flavorful.

What We Ate:

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

This is definitely one of my favorite soups from Soupbox.  It is a cream based soup packed heavy with wild rice, roasted chicken, diced carrots, onions, and a touch of thyme.  You can tell that the soup has been cooking for a while because of the soft veggies.  I love this soup because of the richness.  Dip the multigrain bread or sourdough bread into the soup and enjoy!

Uncle Cal's Chicken Chili

I always enjoy a nice bowl of chili and Soupbox makes an excellent one with different ingredients than you may be used to.  First of all, they use a roasted chicken as the protein rather than the typical ground beef.  They slow cook everything, including red beans, poblano peppers, onion, and the typical chili spices.  I found the chili to not be very spicy (which was unfortunate) and a little watery compared to what I am used to.  It was still a great soup and I will definitely try it again in the winter.

Broccoli and White Cheddar Soup

One of their most popular, if not the most popular, soup at Soupbox.  I like it much better than Panera Bread, but it is a little different.  This version of broccoli cheddar soup has white cheddar cheese and a cream base to it.  They add both broccoli and carrots and then cook it down until a mushy consistency.  I thought it had more of a fresh flavor (the broccoli actually shines) which was pleasant.  Serving the soup in a bread bowl is another option... it costs a little bit more but the bread bowl is a nice touch.

Cookies

My friend chose a couple of cookies from the Soupbox.  You can tell that baking isn't really their strong point, but these cookies definitely satisfied a sweet tooth.  I really enjoyed the melted chocolate chip consistency.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Do ask for samples.  They let you try a little taste of any of the soups, so before you make your decision, make sure you like it!
- Look at Groupon for a deal to Soupbox.  I think everytime I go I always have a Groupon to the restaurant.

DON'T:
- I wouldn't get the bread bowl.  You can ask for unlimited chunks of bread so there is no point in paying extra for the bread bowl.
- Don't get the grilled cheese.  They aren't very special. (sorry not pictured)

How far would I walk for this food?



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