By Liz Johnson

January is National Soup Month. As frost tinges the window panes and a howling wind is enough to make one’s teeth chatter, one of the best counter attacks to the cold is to warm the belly with a hearty, delicious bowl of homemade soup. Surprisingly, many restaurants are starting to delete this comfort food from their menu. Instead, soup is showing up in the most unlikely of places in Hunterdon County, including a small, artisanal small-batch manufacturer in Oldwick. Here are several places worth checking out:

The Oldwick Soup Company

Where: The Stockton Market

19 Bridge Street, Stockton

When: Saturdays and Sundays year round

Where: The Shoppes at the Farm Farmer’s Market

665 Route 22, Whitehouse Station

When: Saturday mornings year round Or call: 908-878-8665

Or email bob@lovethesoup

www.lovethesoup.com

A community-minded, farm-to-table soup-maker, the company offers more than a dozen soups with two new ones introduced each month. They’re available for sale at the farmer’s markets listed above or via a service which delivers to your doorstep 32-ounce versions in a glass mason jar. Gallon containers are accompanied with fresh baked breads and desserts that are prepared specially for The Oldwick Soup Company by local, artisanal baking partners. Flavors include Not Your Grandma’s chicken barley, French lentil with Riesling and tomatoes, Asian chicken with shitake mushrooms and sharp cheddar and roasted garlic cauliflower puree.

Zoup Eatery

Shoppes at Flemington

100 Reaville Ave. Suite 216, Flemington

908-533-7171

www.zoup.com

This franchise specializes in soups, including curry Thai chicken, Mexican chicken, spicy black bean chili, hearty vegetable, lobster bisque, fire-roasted tomato bisque, among others. They also sell jars of their signature broths, including bone broths.

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🚨 New Soup Alert! 🚨 Check out this new twist on a tried and true favorite – Toasty Tomato & Cheese!

A post shared by Zoup! Eatery (@zoupeatery) on Jan 15, 2019 at 9:02am PST

Lambertville Station Restaurant and Inn

11 Bridge Street, Lambertville

609-397-8300

www.lambertvillestation.com

There’s nothing like a bowl of hearty soup alongside a fire overlooking the Delaware River on a cold winter’s day. Among the selections: creamy Lobster crab bisque, bubbling French onion or minestrone.

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We take soup season very seriously. Come warm up with the perfect bowl of Minestrone! 🥣 #itsbetteratthestation #soupseason #souptime

A post shared by Lambertville Station (@lambertvillestation) on Dec 6, 2018 at 2:20pm PST

Bishop’s Supermarket

431 Route 22, Whitehouse Station

908-534-2316

www.bishopssupermarket.com

This popular IGA market offers homemade chili daily along with two soups du jour that have included French onion, Mexican chicken corn chowder and lentil and lima bean. While the soups aren’t listed on the online menu, it’s worth phoning to see what’s being served, particularly if you’re looking for something on the go.

Thai Chicken Lemongrass Soups

If you’re looking for a soup that has a bit of a kick, you can’t beat Thai chicken soups. Tom-Yum is a tangy lemongrass soup in a Thai chicken broth with onions and mushroom. Tom-Kha is similar but includes coconut milk and galangal root which adds a citrusy ginger flavor. Both are standard fare at virtually any Thai restaurant. A few worth checking out are: