At Merchant Roots, one of the most immersive fine dining restaurants in San Francisco, it takes nine months and 140 big and small details to pull off just one of the restaurant’s thematic, seasonal ...

But a “dreary” leek and potato soup, a bowl of “bought-in Cumberland sausages ... Every dish Tom tasted was a winner, from pan com tomate and gazpacho to Orkney scallop with nduja, Basque sardine ...

If a bowl of soup strikes you as the ultimate in comfort, you’ve got plenty of company. Here are 20 of the world’s best soups ...