Party Planner: Soup Potluck

Welcome fall with your friends by inviting everyone over for a cozy dinner of soup, bread and beer. A soup potluck is the ultimate casual get-together: almost everything can be made ahead, and there’s no fuss when it comes to serving a crowd.

 

We’ve gathered some of our favorite recipes below to get you started. Pick your favorites  to share with friends, and read on for more party planning tips.

 

 

Pick and choose a few of these stand-out soups to anchor your meal. Aim for a variety of flavors, textures and ingredients.

 

Butternut Squash Soup with Fried Sage Croutons This silky fall soup comes together quickly with prepared butternut squash puree.

French Onion Soup Meltingly tender onions, meaty stock, and rich, nutty melted cheese—these are the elements that make this boldly flavored soup a favorite. For easy serving, broil the cheese toasts separately and offer them alongside the soup.

Savory Barley Soup with Wild Mushrooms and Thyme Earthy barley deserves its renaissance in the modern kitchen. Thanks to a partial pureeing, this creamy soup supports meaty fall mushrooms.

Green Chili Stew This easy-to-make, delicious chili verde is one of New Mexico’s most popular stews, perfect for satisfying a crowd.

Wild Rice and Red Chard Soup with Andouille A few rustic ingredients come together in this soup to offer a colorful, hearty whole with just the right amount of spicy kick.

 

 

Breads were made to be dunked in a bowl of soup. Let the serious bakers handle the yeast breads, and those looking for a less time-consuming project can make corn bread or biscuits. Alternatively, you can skip the baking altogether and buy fresh baguettes from your favorite bakery.

 

Buttermilk Corn Bread This simple corn bread comes together quickly, but it doesn’t skimp on flavor, thanks to coarse stone-ground cornmeal.

Rosemary-Lemon No-Knead Bread As the name indicates, this bread requires no kneading (and, as a result, little effort). Just be sure to allow time to let it rise.

Everything Parker House Rolls These “everything” rolls have it all: an irresistibly light and fluffy texture plus a crunchy topping of sea salt, onion flakes, garlic flakes and sesame seeds. What’s not to love?

Cheddar-Bacon Biscuits With diced bacon and two kinds of cheeses, these biscuits are irresistible.

Seeded Crackers Use your favorite spices and herbs to vary these crackers, which can be frozen in sheets and baked as needed.

 

 

• Give guests a cold one. Beer is the perfect accompaniment to cozy soups and warm breads; beer mugs are a fun and festive way to sip. If your friends aren’t beer drinkers, offer cider instead.
• Keep it relaxed. Set a casual table with big soup bowls, place mats, and place a bread basket or two around to serve your breads.
• Consider a buffet. Line up a simple salad, your soup pots — don’t forget trivets or potholders to protect surfaces — along with bowls of toppings. We like chopped herbs or scallions, sour cream and shredded cheese.
• Don’t forget dessert. Again, keep it simple but special; these S’mores Brownies fit the bill perfectly.

 

Featured recipe: Slow-Cooked Chicken with Herbed Biscuits