Homemade Soup Recipes

Homemade soups, stews and chowders say, Come over, eat, relax with us.

For luncheon or a casual dinner, bring on the homemade soup recipes.

Canned soup for guests may not be a good idea, but homemade soup is different, special. A hearty, hot soup in winter or a chilled soup in summer is very inviting. And satisfying. Great choice for a housewarming party, game day or a Soup Party, below.

When dinner is soup, though, it's a pretty short jaunt from soup to nuts, so what does one serve with soup?

What to Serve with Soup

The simplest and often the best approach is to just serve...

• Bread, definitely. Warm, garlicky French bread is always good, or make your own Sourdough Breadsticks or cornbread. Or serve sandwiches.
• Wine, or other beverage. Red wine with meat, white wine with poultry and seafood or other light fare. The only tricky decision is what wine to serve with Beer Beef Stew, because of the beer in it. Wine with beer!? Long explanation short, serve a low-tannin red like a Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, or California Cabernet Sauvignon.
• and Dessert Preferably not one served in a bowl, eaten with a spoon; after the soup, it's redundant.

But you may also want to serve...

• Cheese, an assortment, especially with a carb-heavy soup.
• Crudités, finger-food veggies like celery and carrot sticks or
• Green Salad, served on the side as you would for any other meal.

And don't forget the nuts.

Homemade Soup Recipes

Hot Soups, Stews and Chowders

Creamy Fish or Seafood Chowder

Spicy Chicken Stew

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Bacon Corn Chowder

Another "soup" fine-art print. So amusing, it now graces my kitchen. Just click it for a better view.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Turkey Rice Soup

Clam Chowder

Beer Beef Stew

Chicken Gumbo (The real deal)

Shrimp Gumbo (Quick and easy)

Cowboy Beans

Chilled Soup Recipes

Leek and Potato Soup (Vichyssoise)

Cucumber Soup

Pumpkin Soup

Avocado Soup

Fruit Soup Recipes (for adults only)

Soup Party Tips

A soup party is a group effort; you and the guests all contribute a favorite homemade soup, bread or other fixin' to the party. Non-cooks in the group? Someone needs to supply the tableware, napkins, etc. Or perhaps an appropriate centerpiece.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when hosting a soup party:

• Keep tabs on who's bringing what and head off any duplications. (How many, do you suppose, would show up with turkey soup or pumpkin soup after the holidays?)
• Serve the meal buffet-style, when practical. Keep the soups warm in crock pots, cords safely out of the way of traffic, with a place card in front of each one to identify the soup.
• Use small disposable bowls or mugs so that guests can more easily sample all the soups.
• Ask the soup and bread-makers to supply copies of their recipes for the other guests to take home. (Or at least get the recipe to you so that you can make copies.)

Any laid-back cool-weather gathering is right for a soup party, a perfect showcase for those delicious homemade soup recipes.

Party Sandwiches to go with the Homemade Soup Recipes

Housewarming Party Ideas

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