Marine Snail soup in Brussels

Near a Sunday flea market, I saw an old lady selling marine snail soup in a huge pot. The snails have been simmering just below boiling point for hours. They are a bit chewy with a lot of sea flavor. The broth is for sure a winner! Not only full of the snail sea flavor, but also a bit sweet and spicy. I would drink it everyday!

The vendor told me the receipt is a family secret. Basically it's the broth in which the whelks were prepared with lots of celery and a generous amount of onion and pili pili (hot chili sauce), bay leaf and thyme, etc. But it is true recipes vary with each vendor. White wine is optional.

Chickpea stew at LABOLA- Cocido madrileño

Many say you have to try Cocido madrileño before leaving Madrid. It is a traditional chickpea-based hearty stew with vegetables, potatoes and meat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocido_madrile%C3%B1o

Many restaurants serve it during winter season. I went to La Bola (http://www.labola.es) on my last day lunch (for dinner is always packed, so have to make reservation first). Even for lunchtime (around 2-3pm), the place is packed with people at a Tuesday afternoon. How many hours do Spanish have for lunch break?

The waiter comes with a plate of thin noodles and a small brown pot. He poured the soup from the top onto the noodles. That is how you eat it. The noodles are very fine and soft. The soup is simply full of meaty flavor. After finishing that, the secret from the pot is revealed: chickpea, meat and potatoes. The waiter then added more cabbage. How could I describe the divine taste of slow-cooked meat stew flavor to you?
Try it yourself when in Madrid!

Lamb Couscous

In Madrid, there are many international restaurant districts, e.g. close to metro Chueca. Walking around this gay district, I am sure you could find a bar or a restaurant that meet your needs.

I happened to have an Italian friend co-owner a restaurant there and I was lucky invited for lunch at 3pm(Spanish eat at late hours). The restaurant has a bar area for a quick drink with Tapas and a nice seating area that severs fusion Mediterranean cuisine. For a starter, I had a light Spanish soup with veggie. The main course I had lamb couscous: tender lamb with fluffy couscous soaked in savory lamb flavored stew. I love the dish! Only if they could give me more lamb meat.

Goulash in Amsterdam

“Goulash is primarily a soup, also existing as stew, originally from Hungary, usually made of beef, red onions, vegetables, spices and ground paprika powder.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goulash

I didn’t go to Hungary. I was still in Amsterdam. I had the Goulash soup in a bar. The soup is decent, nothing really special about it. Can’t say it is authentic either. But on a cold winter day, I really need it before spending hours in Museums.
The bar was quite nicely decorated with old beer posters. I was the only weird one having a soup there. But I could imagine the place would become lively at night.

Hearty winter soup Ribollita – a classic Tuscan soup

At a cold raining day, a hearty winter soup really saves the day. We went to a cozy bar & restaurant near Piazza Duomo in Florence. At lunchtime, the narrow bar entrance was full of people having an after-lunch coffee. We went downstairs to have a seat. The place is also full of wines on the shelf and rustic objects as decoration. One waiter kindly tells us the old history of this ancient place. That is the beauty of Italy; everywhere has a history and story to tell.

We started with assorted meat on bread. Then followed by a classic Tuscan soup: Ribollita. Ribollita means 're-boiled' in Italian and it would have been reheated day after day – increasing in flavor each time. There are different versions of the recipe, but the main ingredients are: stale bread, cannellini (white) beans and green leafy vegetables (such as black leaf kale) - some versions also add sausage or prosciutto. I followed a Portuguese receipt for a kale sausage soup. It is interestingly similar.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/bean-soup-in-the-style-of-tuscany-ribollita-recipe/index.html

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art18321.asp