A few years ago, I was at a friend’s house for a meal and we were discussing a popular mom topic: simplifying the meal schedule. She told me that she and a few other families on her block participate in a soup swap and rotate making soups for the group. Fast forward a few years and I decided to take this idea out of hibernation and put it to use. I asked my neighborhood parent group chat if anyone would want to participate. To my delight, three other moms were excited to jump on board. Thus, our Tuesday Soup Club was born! Now several years in, Soup Club has been one of the best meal-planning decisions I’ve made.
How Does A Soup Club Work?
The premise is pretty simple. Each family takes one week for cooking responsibility, and on the other weeks, the other members simply receives a delish homemade soup. There are four families that participate in my Soup Club, so I only have to make soup once every four weeks. Granted, it’s a ginormous amount of soup to prepare, but we all find it is more than worth it. I always found that when I make soup for just my family of five, we always have left overs. And doubling (or in my case, quadrouple-ing!) a recipe hardly takes much more effort.
On the night of Soup Club (for us, it’s every Tuesday), the chef endeavors to have the meal ready to distribute by around 5 pm. We bring a pot or other container over to the chef-du-jour’s home and fill it up according to our specific family’s needs. Sometimes we linger over a glass of wine and some catching up, and other times we grab-and-run to feed our hungry family at home.
Other Tips to Consider
Before beginning a soup club, consider the following:
- Are there any vegetarians or vegans in the group? Everyone will need to adjust recipes accordingly. Pro-tip: coconut milk is an excellent dairy substitute in soups!
- Make sure you pick a night of the week that works for everyone. This should be a tradition to enjoy, and not something to stress you out. We
- Adding extras goes a long way. For example, one member included individual bags of dill to go with the matzah ball soup she made in November. I give lemons to squeeze on top of my Turkish lentil soup. A baggie of shredded cheddar is a welcome addition to a hearty chili! Little extra touches can truly elevate the meal experience.
Soup Club: Building Community
Before starting our soup club, not all the moms involved knew one another. This fun weekly tradition has become a way to bond with one another, share cooking fails and triumphs, and lighten each other’s cooking load for one night a week. It’s been a terrific way to build community and tradition in our community. Also, our Soup Club has been an excellent way to try new recipes we may otherwise have never ventured on our own. We’ve even talked about making our own little Soup Club Recipe Book! Short of that, it’s easy to make a shared Google Doc where everyone can add their recipes.
Some of My Favorite Soups
If you want some soup-er inspiration, here are some of my favorite soups that I’ve done for our club that my children also love! Comment below with your family favorite soups!
- Indian Spiced Cauliflower Soup
- Mercimek (Turkish Red Lentil Soup)
- Healthy Zuppa Toscana
- Thai Chicken Soup
- Vegan Chickpea, Sweet Potato, and Kale Curry (serve with naan or rice)
If you have any interest in starting a soup club, text this article to some neighbors to see if there is interest. Creating a Soup Club is a fun, delicious, community building activity!
