Warm up to Warrenville's Zoup!

When the mercury drops and snow flies, I crave soup. I like warming my fingers over a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup and dunking a sourdough roll into a piping hot cup of lentil soup.

Now, I can do that without turning on the stove thanks to Zoup!

Zoup!, a growing franchise in the fast-casual restaurant segment, offers a dozen hot, fresh soups each day at the new counter-service eatery in Cantera Commons on the Warrenville/Naperville border. Decked out in earthy clay and butternut hues with a mix of cozy booths and tables, it's a spot where you can grab a quick lunch with co-workers or stop with the family for a satisfying meal and know that everyone will find something to like.

Of those 12 soups, 10 rotate every day and, no, they can't tell you when the mushroom bisque will be featured next. They can promise that every day there will be low-fat, vegan and gluten-free soups on the menu. You'll just have to be surprised when you walk in, check the lineup online or sign up to get the day's menu emailed to you.

The two soups offered daily, lobster bisque and chicken potpie soup, are steadies for a reason. The lobster bisque is a subtle, creamy soup flecked with cayenne, and the chicken potpie proves itself a highly addictive version of this comfort food favorite. Chunks of tender chicken, carrots and potatoes swim in a thick, peppered broth. Every few bites you get a bit of crust that has soaked up all those warm, yummy flavors.

You can taste-test before you decide. The workers slide a small cup and tiny spoon through a hole in the glass, kind of like what you see in prison movies. I tried the lentil soup, pleasantly brightened with lemon, and the disappointingly bland chicken with roasted garlic before we settled on the aforementioned chicken potpie and the corn chowder, which had too many potatoes and not enough oomph for my palate. We also tried the Sicilian pizza soup, a definite crowd pleaser with pepperoni slices and sausage bits mingling in a rosemary- and oregano-infused broth. And the Southwest chicken chili had the pep I was seeking from the chowder.

Soups are available in 8-ounce, 12-ounce and 16-ounce portions, or a 32-ounce to-go container. All soup comes with a hunk of fresh-baked bread; choose nice airy sourdough, crunchy French or nutty multigrain.

If you want more than soup, Zoup! has you covered with sandwiches and salads and offers special pricing on pick-two ordering.

The toasty Chicken Toscana comes with red peppers and perky marinated red onions and a cloak of provolone cheese; it makes a great companion to the pizza soup. I imagine it would pair nicely with the Italian wedding soup as well.

The moist tuna salad is evenly flavored with celery and dill and wrapped in a multigrain flatbread. Other options include a guacamole-topped vegetable wrap and Greek chicken smeared with tzatziki and sprinkled with tomatoes and black olives.

We didn't try a salad, but options include a hearty-looking romaine Cobb tossed with chicken breast strips and a southward-leaning loco burrito with a chipotle-ranch dressing.

Wanting more than the hunk of fresh bread for an accompaniment, we tried veggie chips. We were wowed by the lightly seasoned crisp planks of sweet potato and bits of acorn squash, green beans and carrots. The veggie crisps were more delightful than dessert — a flat-flavored, dry brownie.

The staff was friendly and very helpful in explaining the soups and their ingredients. If you can't make it to Warrenville, there's also a Zoup! in Downers Grove. The franchise is rapidly expanding, so here's hoping more Zoup! eateries will open in the suburbs.

• Reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not review restaurants it cannot recommend.

Zoup!

<b>28341-61 Diehl Road, Warrenville; (630) 821-9800; zoup.com</b>

<b>Cuisine:</b> Fresh-made soups, salads and sandwiches

<b>Setting:</b> Casual, counter-service storefront

<b>Entrees:</b> $6.35 to $7.35 for a 12-ounce bowl; combos $7.50

<b>Hours:</b> 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday; 11 a.m. to 8 a.m. Monday to Friday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday