At Pasadena’s Bone Kettle, beef bones are boiled with onions, ginger, garlic, and spices for 36 hours. Diners can add on brisket, sirloin, or even oxtails to the broth, but the soup is satisfying in and of itself.

Portuguese food doesn’t have much of a foothold in Los Angeles, but fans of the cuisine can find a slew of signature dishes at Natas Pastries in Sherman Oaks. One particular speciality is caldo verde, the classic green Portuguese soup stuffed with potatoes, kale, and chorizo that’s perfect for a chilly Southern California evening.

Aracelly Flores and Anca Caliman cook up Romanian comfort food with a California point of view at Parsnip. The hearty chicken paprikash served over barley has a stick-to-your-bones quality to it, while a red cabbage slaw rounds out the richness. 

Trisha Langer is the third generation of Langers who has her hand in the LA restaurant community. Her family opened the legendary Langer’s, but Trisha embraced her own approach to Jewish deli food, including a wonderful matzo ball soup that’s flavorful with a deeply rich broth.

Silver Lake’s fast-casual Pine & Crane maintains a relaxed vibe. Simply head in, order the wonton noodle soup, grab a table, and wait for the bowl filled with pork broth, shrimp wontons, and baby bok choi to arrive.

Hyesung Noodle House in Koreatown is the first overseas location of Seoul’s famed Hyesung Kalguksu. The chicken kalguksu brings together a rich, down-home broth with the restaurant’s signature knife-cut noodles. A slice of kimchi (traditionally stirred into the broth with additional red chile paste) adds a vinegary zip.

Long before bone broth was all the rage, Koreans were eating sul lung tang. Made of boiled ox bones, the cloudy white broth is livened with salt and plenty of green onions.

Linh Phuong Nguyen makes the best bowl of southern style pho at this worn-in restaurant straddling the border between Rosemead and South El Monte. While the filet mignon that comes standard with every bowl is a cut above the rest, it’s Ms. Nguyen’s unparalleled broth that distinguishes her product from the dozens of hawkers in town.

It’s easy to overlook avgolemono on the menu at Papa Cristo’s. This restaurant does so many things well, but this traditional Greek soup is so hearty, lemony, and silky with plenty of chicken. Grab a few spanakopitas, and it’s a perfect meal on a cool day.

Enter through the small and tidy market and make your way to the front counter where owner Charles Forrester is at your service. There are over half-a-dozen soups available on the menu, but hone in on the cow foot soup for a rich and spicy bowlful of goodness.

Founded in 1972, this legendary oceanside seafood stop has fed generations. Commercial fishermen own and operate Malibu Seafood, along with a seaside market to take the day’s fresh catch home. Always order the clam chowder in all its creamy goodness before taking it to the outdoor area and watch the surf come in.

Before zeroing in on one item at Ackee Bamboo, ask for the specials. They might include a fish tea soup, but there is always the incredibly delicious and simple curry vegetable soup. The kitchen switches up the vegetables according to the seasons, but the flavors always right so right.

Offering green, red, and white pozoles made from pork head stock, consider Tamales Elena y Antojitos your friendly neighborhood pozoleria. For those avoiding animal products, the vegan elopozole is made with sweet corn.

Boujie Crab owner Nickey McKnight might be a first-time restaurant owner, but she’s easily found a steady stream of diners who love her seafood-based Creole dishes. The gumbo is chock full of shrimp, crab, comes with or without sausage, and is challenging to finish in one sitting.

Open since 1985, the family-owned Phnom Penh Noodle Shack boasts plenty of options that include noodles and soup. But the house special takes sliced and ground pork, stomach, liver, shrimp, and noodles in a massive steaming bowl that’s sure to satisfy.