It's a SOUP SWAP!

Tamara Nugteren


I love holiday cookies just as much as you do, BUT - this year, I am going both practical AND delicious! I am forgoing the traditional cookie swap and instead hosting a Soup Swap.  That's right.  A soup swap.  Its fun and it feeds your family without adding to your December sugar high.

My soup: Tomato Basil

Here is how it works:
1) Find a willing and excited group of friends.  You can work with any number, but a good minimum to set is six.

2) Pick a date and time to meet and swap. I hosted my soup swap just before our monthly Bunco group.  You could also just call it a "girls night" and serve some wine and apps.

3) Set up a formal RSVP system* that will hold your swappers accountable and also allow them to announce their soup variety.  Ask everyone to choose a different variety of soup to prepare. **
*I used Evite, but Facebook would work as well.  The reminders are key.
** If you have a very large group, you could allow two chefs per variety. 

4) Make sure everyone knows the expectations and the rules of the swap.  See below.

5) Award a prize or two to add to the fun!  I awarded a Caribou gift card for "most beautiful packaging".

Stacey easily won "most beautiful".  I think next time everyone
will try a little harder!  She set the standard for us!

6) Start cooking - well ahead of time.  You need to bring 6 quarts of the soup, frozen.

7) At the swap: Have everyone bring their frozen soup to the table, and have a "telling of the soup".  Each chef shares the variety of soup, the general ingredients and if there is a history to the recipe.
For example:  "I made a tomato basil soup.  I got this recipe from the owner and chef of a local deli and have been making it for years. The recipe starts by sautéing carrots, celery and onion, then adding the rest of the ingredients.  My version is made with half and half and fresh basil.  It goes well with croutons and my son really likes it with the addition of pre-made cheese tortellinis."
When my girlfriend Stacey was up, she added in the history behind her soup, minestrone.

Stacey's Minestrone label:  History of the soup and directions for prep.

8) If you have 6 participants, everyone takes one of each soup and takes one of their own home as well. (After all, you worked hard on it. Might as well eat one!)
If you have 7 participants, everyone takes home one of everyone else's soup.
If you have 8 or more participants, everyone takes turns selecting one soup at a time until everyone has 6 total.  This allows the most flexibility, in case there is a variety or two that someone doesn't care for or cannot eat for some reason.

8) Everyone puts their frozen soups into their coolers and enjoys the party.  Or goes home. Host's choice.  Either way, everyone is happy to have some delicious meals, ready to go in the freezer for those cold days ahead!

The rules:
- Everyone must choose a different variety, when possible.
- Everyone must make 6 quarts total of their soup (I used a big stock pot - its very do-able.) and package them into 6 one-quart containers and freeze them.*
- If the soup requires noodles, I highly suggest preparing the soup without them and supplying the correct amount of dry uncooked noodles with the soup to be added when eaten.  They don't freeze and reheat well.
- All soups must be labeled and any ingredients that have allergy potential must be noted.
- Encourage attention to packaging.  Like I said above, a little competition adds to the fun.

Frozen soup, noodles on the side.  This container is smaller than a quart,
but when the noodles were added, it bulked up to the required amount. 

* For quart containers:  In the grocery store you can find quart size, freezable containers like Gladware. The deli counters use quart sized containers for salads and sides, they may sell you a few or even give them to you if you ask nicely.  The big yogurt containers are quart sized.  I used quart sized, wide-mouthed Ball jars (make sure to leave 1 1/2 inches of room at the top for expansion).  If all else fails, you can use quart sized freezer bags.  They won't win any prizes, but they are very practical as they freeze flat.

Our group had so much fun swapping soups that we were already discussing when we could do it again - even before leaving the first time!  Since then, my family has eaten three of the six soups and they have all been wonderful.  I'm trying to ration out the rest!  Maybe one a week.... we'll see if we can make it that long!

There are SO MANY varieties of soup to choose from.  Here is the list we had at our swap:
- Tomato Basil   For this recipe, check out my previous post about tomatoes HERE.  
- Beer Cheese
- Minestrone (noodles on the side)
- Chicken Wild Rice
- Chicken Noodle (noodles on the side)
- Chicken Tortilla (homemade tortillas on the side)

Enjoy!

Five of our six soups.  

Four of our six participants.  I'm on the right...

 Next time, CHILI!