Stave off winter's chill with a warm bowl of soup from a Chicago-area restaurant

Chicago winters can be brutal at the best of times, but the spread of the omicron variant during the regular cold and flu season has made this year especially rough. If you're feeling under the weather, or just want something warm and comforting to help you deal with the subfreezing temperatures, nothing beats a good bowl of soup.

Luckily, you have plenty of options for whatever you're craving. If you need something to clear your sinuses while buried under a pile of blankets, there are great takeout and delivery options so you can rest and recover. If you're willing to brave the cold, you can start a meal with a soup or make it your entree with a big bowl of ramen. We've put together a list of some of the hottest options around so you can just bring your appetite.

Andros Taverna

2542 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, (773) 365-1900, androstaverna.com/

The one-year-old Logan Square restaurant serves Avogolemo, a Greek version of chicken soup made using lemon juice and egg yolk.

Beatrix

272 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, (630) 491-1415, beatrixrestaurants.com/beatrix/oak-brook/

Stop in for lunch or dinner for vegan tomato basil soup with ciabatta croutons and basil for $8.95.

Big Bowl

215 Parkway Drive, Lincolnshire, (847) 808-8880, and 1950 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg, (847) 517-8881, bigbowl.com/

Opt for a small serving of chicken won ton soup with housemade broth, noodles and vegetables, or hot and sour soup with pork, chicken and mushrooms for $5.95 each. Or, to feed two to three people, a large serving runs $9.95.

BLVD

817 W. Lake St., Chicago, (312) 526-3316, blvdchicago.com/

Start an elegant meal with a bowl of lobster bisque made with sweet sherry cream and puff pastry for $13, or onion soup fondue featuring caramelized onion, veal stock, Gruyere cheese and crostini for $12.

Carrabba's Italian Grill

1001 75th St., Woodridge, (630) 427-0900, carrabbas.com/

Nicknamed Sicilian penicillin, Mama Mandola's Sicilian chicken soup promises to provide a cure for whatever ails you. Other warming options include the minestrone or the sausage and lentil. Come for lunch, where you can get a bottomless bowl and a side salad for $7.99, or try a cup of soup as part of a $9.99 special including a side salad and a lunch portion of one of the restaurant's pastas, such as shrimp scampi, fettuccine Alfredo, or meatballs and ricotta.

CityGate Grille

2020 Calamos Court, Naperville, (630) 718-1010, citygategrille.com/

Warm up with a bowl of Avgolemono soup featuring Greek chicken, lemon and orzo. At $6, it's a steal. And it can be ordered to-go, too.

Mon Ami Gabi

2300 N. Lincoln Park West, Chicago, (773) 348-8886, monamigabi.com/

Through the end of January, you can order a French onion soup kit for $50, which includes enough of the soup to feed four, plus Gruyere and Jarlsberg cheeses, two French baguettes, four ceramic soup crocks, and the recipe to make more of your own. Once you have the crocks, you can get a refill of everything else for $30.

Prairie Grass Cafe

601 Skokie Blvd., Northbrook, (847) 205-4433, prairiegrasscafe.com/

The restaurant is offering a special Soups To Go menu throughout January, offering a rotating selection including spinach, squash, parsnip and vegetarian lentil by the pint ($10) or quart ($20). If you dine in, the soups are $8 a bowl.

“While we're making our way through another cold winter, a steaming hot bowl of soup can keep you and your family warm and toasty,” says chef Sarah Stegner.

The Table at Crate

35 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, (630) 590-9444, tableatcrate.com/

The nostalgic tomato basil soup with grilled cheese bites from Publican Quality Bread for $10 is one of the top items on Chef Bill Kim's menu. You can also order from Chef Bill Kim's Ramen Bar, which offers soft-boiled eggs, shaved Brussels sprouts, kimchi, scallions and cilantro with shrimp in a spicy broth ($24), chicken katsu in a herb broth ($22) or crispy tofu in a vegetable broth ($20).

Tokio Pub

1900 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg, (847) 278-5181, tokiopub.com/

Choose from six varieties of ramen, including tempura shrimp with red Fresno peppers ($15), vegetable dumplings with bok choy ($14), braised pork belly ($16), or seared filet and shiitake mushroom ($16). If you've got a big appetite, come on Sunday when you can get unlimited ramen refills for an extra $3.

Urbanbelly

1542 N. Damen Ave., Chicago (773) 904-8606, urbanbellychicago.com/

The Wicker Park restaurant is only open for takeout and delivery currently, so you have a perfect excuse to stay home and enjoy one of their specialty soups like katsu udon with peanut pesto and garlic peanuts in a chicken pho broth ($15) or coconut curry pho featuring ground lemon grass chicken and bean sprouts ($13.50).