Comforting soups from Little Fish and Chainsaw in the wake of L.A.’s wildfires

When chefs Anna Sonenshein and Karla Subero Pittol teamed up to feed thousands of Angelenos in need, they turned to one of their own sources of comfort: soup.

Over the last two weeks, the restaurateurs have prepared roughly 10,000 meals that rolled out to firefighters, evacuees and other first responders in the wake and duration of a string of wildfires that have decimated the city. Sonenshein, a chef-owner of Echo Park seafood restaurant Little Fish, and Subero Pittol, the chef-owner of backyard pop-up and forthcoming restaurant Chainsaw, cook in tandem each day to prepare a range of items, including tamales, sandwiches and salads — but there’s almost always a soup.

“Wherever you’re coming from, in terms of what you grew up eating, there is some sort of common denominator of a hot, soupy meal,” Sonenshein said. “It hits a sweet spot for everybody because they have an emotional association with some kind of warm soup for dinner when they’re having a hard time.”

First it was jumbo vats of curry. Then there was a hominy-less take on tomatillo pozole. When L.A. Grocery & Cafe donated 1,000 pounds of carrots to help the collaborative kitchen, Subero Pittol and Sonenshein set about to make a punchy, vibrant ginger carrot soup and sent hundreds of servings of it across the county. With donations of leeks and a surplus of chicken, they converted the Little Fish congee recipe — which usually uses either a fish or mushroom base — into chicken-and-leek congee topped with Fly by Jing’s donated chili crisp and whatever vegetables were on hand in the kitchen that day.

Two to three days after the fires broke out, Sonenshein was already cooking for displaced families when her seafood rep, Kelsey Lee, called her and said, “This is really disorganized. What are we going to do?” Along with Subero Pittol and a handful of other volunteers, they founded Rogue Foods LA: a grassroots wildfire food-relief system that has coordinated and/or cooked more than 22,000 meals since the fires began.

Dozens of chefs across the city now operate within their network, preparing a range of fresh meals for those in need, but at Little Fish and Chainsaw’s home base — the kitchen of Little Fish-adjacent business Dada Market — they prepare hundreds of servings of soups.

“I’m literally making up soups every single day,” Subero Pittol said. “I think soup is a really nice vessel for getting all of the vitamins and essentials in.”

Karla Subero Pittol stirs a large batch of congee in the Dada Market kitchen, a home base for new disaster relief coalition Rogue Foods LA.

(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)

Uncooked carrot tops and leek trimmings are repurposed into simmering stocks, which are then used in even more soups that feed the masses. The never-ending cycle of soups nourish young and old, displaced and volunteering. It’s a no-waste meal that can be enjoyed communally and can pack in pounds of fresh vegetables, proteins and carbohydrates. Perhaps most important of all, it’s bringing a dose of warmth in more ways than one.

“No matter who you are, it is universally comforting,” Sonenshein said.

“It’s a hug from the inside,” Subero Pittol added. “The second that warm soup touches your belly, it’s like, ‘OK, everything is right again.’”

Both chefs categorize soup as their favorite kind of food to eat. Subero Pittol was raised on her father’s stewy Indian curries, while Sonenshein spent more time slurping matzo ball soup. Today, Sonenshein makes soup for her restaurant’s staff meal so frequently that her team says she has “soup energy.”

No matter your own soup memories, histories and proclivities, here are some of L.A. Times’ favorite comforting, nourishing soup recipes that are sure to resonate in your own home, including two collaborative dishes from Little Fish and Chainsaw’s wildfire relief efforts. They might be just what the doctor ordered in these stressful times — and, like Sonenshein, now you can have “soup energy” too.

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Little Fish and Chainsaw’s Vegan Carrot and Ginger Soup

This carrot and ginger soup has fed hundreds of Angelenos and now it can feed you too. Packed with fresh produce, this is a simple and delicious way to eat your vegetables. Subero Pittol and Sonenshein’s recipe also provides protein via the inclusion of white beans, as well as comfort and a bit of heat thanks to a balance of coconut milk, a walloping dose of fresh ginger and Calabrian chile paste. When finished with a squeeze of fresh orange juice, it’s even more refreshing.
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Cook time: 1 hour. Serves 6 to 8.

(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)

Little Fish and Chainsaw’s Chicken and Leek Congee

This is true comfort in a bowl. Aromatic and long-simmered, this riff on Little Fish’s base congee recipe packs the rice porridge with fresh leeks and poached, shredded chicken. When topped with a soft-boiled egg and chile crisp it’s rich and spicy — though this congee is just as good sans toppings, eaten straight out of the pot.
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Cook time: 2 1/2 hours. Serves 6 to 8.

(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)

Spiced Lamb Meatball and Escarole Soup

What’s better than a classic soup? Two iconic dishes combined to make one new stalwart soup. Food writer and recipe developer Lindsay Maitland Hunt mashed up Italian wedding soup and lamb shawarma in this spicy, stewy number from her cookbook “Help Yourself: A Guide to Gut Health for People Who Love Delicious Food.” She packs in protein by swapping beans in for the traditional pasta and allows for plenty of customization when it comes to the greens used. Mix and match to your heart’s content.
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Cook time: 50 minutes. Serves 4-6.

Lucques’ Soup au Pistou with Parmesan Croutons

Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne’s famed Lucques restaurant may be gone, but it will never be forgotten. The celebrated restaurant ran for 21 years in large part due to its stellar renditions of comforting, seasonal classics. Here, they top a garlicky, vegetable-heavy soup au pistou with Parmesan breadcrumbs for a rich take on the herbaceous French soup.
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Cook time: 1 hour and 20 minutes. Serves 6-8.

(Eric Boyd / Los Angeles Times)

(Paul Morse / Los Angeles Times)

Jet Tila’s Tom Kha Gai

There’s almost nothing more craveable and comforting than a bowl of spiced coconut milk, a fragrant steam of fish sauce and lime leaves rising into the air. Here celebrity chef Jet Tila shares his recipe for a classic tom kha gai, that iconic Thai coconut chicken soup. Sour, spicy, salty and creamy, this is a must-make to keep in your soup rotation whenever the temperatures dip.
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Cook time: Approx. 1 hour for Thai chicken stock, then 15 minutes. Serves 4-6.