Turn up the heat with these spicy soups from local restaurants: Jasmine Mangalaseril

While creamy tomato soup and grandma's chicken noodle soup are classic comforts, sometimes we need something with the kick of spices and the spark of chillies to warm us from the inside.

As the weather gets cooler, here are four hot, aromatic bowls that offer a bit of a spicy bang.

A word to the wise: These aren't for the spice-phobic. While you can often increase the heat, it's not always possible to decrease it.

Tom yum

A favourite at Thai and Southeast Asian restaurants, tom yum is believed to have been created in Thailand's central region as a freshwater shrimp boil with herbs and aromatics, and is traditionally served with rice.

At downtown Kitchener's Soi Thaifoon, owner Fouzan Beg's team starts their tom yum with its classic trinity of aromatics.

"We have a lot of fresh lemongrass, fresh galangal, [Thai] lime leaves," he said. "And we put a little shrimp paste and some fresh Thai chillies to give that spice."

There's also fish sauce and fresh tomatoes, which add umami, sweetness, and tang to the broth's citrusy, piney-gingery and chilli notes.

Soi Thaifoon's tom yum has a clear broth to which you can add chicken or seafood, but some restaurants add coconut milk for a creamy version. A vegan broth is available for those wanting a vegetarian option with tofu or vegetables.

Manchow

Manchow may have been invented by the Hakka Chinese community in Kolkata or by an unknown cook in the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya. Regardless, this hearty soup fuses East Indian and Sichuan flavours.

"This is basically spicy soup," said Damodar Dhungel, owner of Kitchener's Kitchen Wall Hakka.  "And the base is vegetable broth, and you can make a non-veg too. This is a thick, spicy soup. It's very good in the winter season."

Vinegar and soy sauce punctuated with ginger-garlic paste creates its brownish hue. And instead of Sichuan pepper, dried red chillies provide the heat. The cornstarch-thickened broth is loaded with chopped mixed veggies, such as carrots, peas, mushrooms, and cabbage.

At Kitchen Wall, the aromatic and salty-tangy soup is served bubbling hot, topped with crunchy fried noodles.

Manchow is available at Hakka and some Indian Restaurants. You can keep it vegetarian or add a non-veg protein like chicken or seafood.

Rasam

While not a soup (it's like a digestif, served in South India and Sri Lanka), rasam's main ingredients are tamarind pulp/juice and black pepper, often simmered with tomatoes, curry leaves and lime.

It's available in South Indian restaurants, including Jayalakshmi South Indian Cuisine in Kitchener and Brantford.

"How I would describe rasam is pepper-garlic soup," said Vikram Subramanian, Jayalakshmi's owner. "Most of the flavour comes from the garlic, pepper, and tamarind...rasam has a taste of slightly hot, spicy and sour."

There are dozens of versions, featuring ingredients such as apples, vegetables, or lentils. The best-known variant in the West is the Anglo-Indian Mulligatawny Soup. Its name combines the Tamil words milagu (black pepper) and thanni (water).

It's nicely sour from tamarind and lime, while garlic and spices adds a subtle earthiness.

At Jayalakshmi, it's served with rice, or idli (steamed cakes made from a fermented rice and dal batter), or with vadai (lentil fritters).

Or do as I do: have it in bowl (or mug), to sip straight.

Thukpa

Thukpa is a Tibetan dish that's popular in other Himalayan countries including Nepal and Bhutan, and in India's mountainous northern states.

Suresh Simkhada, owner of Kitchener's Hakka Holic, was born in Nepal. He explained that here it's listed as a soup, but thukpa is considered a noodle dish.

"It's 50-50 noodle and then fresh vegetable. It is not like other soups...I say it's one complete dish," said Simkhada. He added "Bhutan as well as Darjeeling, and Sikkim, they have different variations. Some put noodles. Some put dumplings. Some put wontons. But the more popular one is noodle thukpa."

In some areas, mutton is added, but vegetarian and chicken versions are at local Nepalese and some Hakka restaurants.

There's a strong hit of garlic (which helps keep blood flowing in higher altitudes).  And, instead of manchow's chopped vegetables, thukpa's carrots, cabbage, greens and other vegetables are cut in larger pieces. At Hakka Holic, they nestle in the tangle of noodles with their brick red broth that has a bit of a tang and a chilli kick.