Great soup

By Karen Tina Harrison

Soup is the universal comfort food, and virtually every cuisine has its own take on this primordial favorite. These local soup specialists need just a New York minute to ladle up savory, satisfying meals-in-a-bowl.

La Bonne Soupe. A soupçon of rustic France in midtown, this brownstone spot has welcomed midtowners on a budget since 1973. Soups, including an authentic French onion, are fresh and flavorful. The $14.95 deal includes a large bowl, plus salad, dessert, and coffee or wine. (48 West 55th Street; 212-586-7650. Soup, $5.50-$6.50, served with French bread)

Hale and Hearty. This busy, brick-walled, only-in-New York soup specialist makes lunch interesting and affordable. About 20 meaty and vegetarian selections are on tap daily, from exotic Curried Shrimp Bisque to soothing Ten Vegetable. Multiple locations, www.haleandhearty.com. Soup, $2.99-$4.99, served with choice of bread

Bo Ky. Many a Manhattan jury-duty stint has been salvaged by this no-frills, dirt-cheap Cantonese-Vietnamese kitchen perched where Chinatown meets the courthouses. Unanimous verdict: a massive bowl of well-spiced pho noodle soup heaped with meat or seafood. (80 Bayard Street; 212-406-2292. Soup $3.50-$6)

Soup Stop. Anna Flossos, a Culinary Instititue of America-trained chef, has two loves: soup and trains. Her cafes are adorned with subway tiles and station photos. And her menu covers creative "everyday" soups plus specials like Tuesday's cheesy Sopa Azteca and Friday's silken Squash and Pear. (517 Columbus Avenue; 212-496-6491 and 1270 Madison Avenue; 212-987-2695. Soup $4-$6, served with fruit and choice of bread )

B&H Dairy Restaurant. East Villagers throng this unpretentious vegetarian luncheonette dating from 1942. Among its old-fashioned, Old World dishes are earthy soups like Mushroom-Barley, Borscht (cold in summer, hot in winter) and Matzoh Ball (Fridays through Sundays). B&H's matzoh balls are the perfect texture, neither too fluffy nor too dense. (127 Second Avenue; 212-505-8065. Soup $3.50-$4, served with challah bread)

The Lobster Place. This fish wholesaler and retailer offers a soup bar with five or six seafood-based recipes. The New England (white) Clam Chowder and Lobster Bisque are fancy-restaurant quality. Hungry souphounds go for the $7.50 Bread Bowl, a large, round peasant loaf hollowed out and filled with soup. (Chelsea Market, 75 Ninth Avenue; 212-255-5872 and 252 Bleecker Street; 212-352-8083. Soup $3.50-$6.25, served with crackers )

Six & Twelve. A rare West Village bargain, this quiet, relaxed soup-and-sandwich nook is a true mom-and-pop operation. Mom Barbara oversees eight fresh-daily soups ranging from chunky African Peanut Chicken to rich-tasting but fat-free Butternut Squash. Bonus: a table overlooking hectic Sixth Avenue. (469 Sixth Avenue; 212-242-0581. Soup $3.50-$4, served with ciabatta bread)

Stir It Up. Sonia Gordon's popular Brooklyn café flaunts sunny Caribbean colors, comfy couches, and stew-like soups that have the neighbors talking. There's a daily soup, such as Saturday's Five Bean, plus a "surprise soup," like Fish Tea, thick with snapper, yellowtail and tilapia. (514 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn; 718-643-3716. Soup $3-$6)

Hudson Cafeteria. Finicky fashionistas get their soup fix at the Hudson Hotel's eatery, wihose communal tables have a Hogwarts School air. Chef Mark Spangenthal's homey yet haute Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle brims with breast meat, carrots, pastina pasta, and fresh herbs. (356 West 58th Street; 212-554-6500. Chicken soup, $10.50, served with onion roll)

POP Diner. POP breaks the diner mold, with chefs rather than cooks, desserts as big in flavor as in portion, and soups Grandma would be proud of. Choose red chowder, chicken veg, French Onion, or a soup du jour, like Black Bean or Lentil. Even a humble $2.25 cuppa comes with a basket of house-baked corn bread and onion rolls. (80-26 Queens Boulevard, Elmhurst; 718-426-2229. Soup $2.25-$4.25, served with bread)

The Original SoupMan. "Seinfeld" is in reruns, but the show's oft-featured soup kitchen is still in production, delighting "soupies" (soup groupies). Six to eight daily varieties, like Indian Mulligatawny, Turkey Chili, and Beef Gumbo, flaunt layers of flavor and signature spices. (Multiple locations, www.originalsoupman.com; Soup $4.95-$6.95, served with baguette, fruit, and chocolate)