chicken soup for the sick

Rather than bore (or disgust) with tales of just *how* sick I've been the past several days with a heckuva sinus infection (yay for antibiotics), here's a quick rundown of places to get some good chicken soup in Austin.

Top of the list is Julio's in Hyde Park. There are only two reasons to eat at Julio's (three if you count their stout margaritas, but I'm don't). The roasted chicken and the chicken soup. Their chicken soup fits the "medicinal qualities" bill and is both simple and flavorful. Chicken stock, sizable pieces of torn chicken (mostly white meat, possibly from the roaster), chunks of squash, celery, carrot, and onion, several slices of avocado, and a section of cob corn fill a huge bowl. Includes tortillas, salsa, and sometimes a lime wedge. You can get a side of rice to throw in. Physically & emotionally comforting.

The rest are in no particular order.

Maudie's. I just had theirs tonight because it was close, and I didn't feel like cooking. Not bad. More of a traditional tortilla soup, with cheese and tortilla strips included. It includes a side of rice, fresh cilantro, and fresh onion you can add. The soup is chicken stock, shredded chicken (white & dark), bits of carrot, green pepper, tomato chunks, onion, and two thick slices of avocado. I'll easily get two meals out of it since I got it to go. It was tasty, but not on par with Julio's. [edit: decided I really like sweetness and crunch of the fresh onion in this soup]

Chuy's. Pretty similar in makeup to Maudie's, slightly thicker stock, replace the green pepper with green chile. Haven't been to Chuy's in awhile, so not much to go on here. Good, but (again) not Julio's

Jorge's on Hancock. Jorge's tortilla soup uses a tomato-based broth, which changes everything. I haven't had theirs in awhile either, but recall shredded chicken, standard veggies, and cheese. They use red & yellow crispy tortilla strips. No rice, but extra tortilla strips or chips on the side. It's a hearty soup, but not quite chili-esque, and, not Julio's.

Vietnamese Pho is another good soup when not feeling well, but that's a post for another day.