Five Comforting Bowls of Soup in the Stapleton Neighborhood

When the weather outside is frightful, a bowl of soup sounds delightful! With temperatures dropping below freezing this time of year, a warm bowl of soup is the perfect remedy. Here are five steamy bowls of comfort around the Stapleton neighborhood to get you through those last-minute gift-shopping outings.

Mici Handcrafted Italian

2373 Central Park Boulevard
303-355-6424
miciitalian.com

Serving Italian dishes created from generations of family recipes, Mici knows what it's doing where soup is concerned. The fagioli soup is a brothy bowl whose secret ingredient might actually be a hug from Nonna. Located on Stapleton’s east side, Mici is a pizzeria go-to for the neighborhood, but frigid days prompt guests to turn to the zuppa section. The fagioli (Italian for beans) comprises white beans and spinach in a light chicken broth topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Two slices of warm bread with melted butter and garlic accompany the bowl for extra satisfaction, especially when dipping or mopping up the last of the broth. This soup is $6.89 on its own or can be paired with pizza, pasta or salad for a $9.29 weekday lunch special. If you're not near Stapleton, Mici has several other metro locations where you can warm up with a bowl.

Next Door American Eatery

10155 East 29th Drive
720-930-4366
nextdooreatery.com

No soup list would be complete without a tomato version — as decreed in the Soup-Slurper's Constitution. Next Door's version ($6,95), served with grilled bread, is an exemplary creation — like Mom’s but even better (we won't tell her if you won't). The lightly charred toast adds a smoky flavor when dipped into the bowl of smooth, tangy-sweet soup. This homey bowl is great on a cold day before grocery shopping or paired with a Left Hand Sawtooth Ale Nitro while watching football at the bar — and avoiding grocery shopping.

The Berkshire

7352 East 29th Avenue
303-321-4010
theberkshirerestaurant.com

Although several green chile options are ladled up in Stapleton, the Berkshire’s bowl of spicy goodness ($5.50) ranks supreme because of the star ingredient: pork. Located in what could easily be described as the gateway to Stapleton, the Berkshire specializes in swine-inspired dishes, making it the proper place to enjoy green chile that packs heat from a generous amount of green chiles without skimping on high-quality, flavorful pork. The Berkshire serves its green topped with shredded cheese and scallions, with corn tortillas for dipping. Paired with the seasonal Yule Mule cocktail, this bowl will warm the soul of any old Christmas curmudgeon.

Cattivella

10195 East 29th Drive
303-645-3779
cattivelladenver.com

Recently added on its fall menu, Cattivella’s tortellini in brodo ($22) hails from Italy's Emilia-Romagna region, where it's a celebratory dish and staple during the holiday season. You could argue over whether this is a bowl of pasta with broth or a bowl of soup with pasta, but better to just enjoy the tortellini, stuffed with slow roasted pork, mortadella, prosciutto and parmigiano and immersed in a showstopping brodo poured tableside from a piping-hot kettle. Grab a seat at the chef's counter, where the wood-burning pizza oven and grill feel like a toasty lodge fireplace.

Punch Bowl Social

3120 Uinta Street
720-500-3788
punchbowlsocial.com

Is chili soup or stew? Don't be a Grinch when it come to defining hearty winter eats; just enjoy Punch Bowl Social’s five-layer beef brisket chili ($12.75), which takes the Texas classic to a new level with fresh chunks of avocado, shredded Monterey Jack and sliced pickled jalapeños, all served with tortilla chips for scooping. The skillet of chili is perfect before a round of winter wonderland-themed miniature golf on the patio or before indulging in one of the restaurant's Party Time Shakes (the Cotton Candy Dreamland is a must; sharing is not).