Soup Swap

You've GOT to try this!  Plan now to host a Soup Swap in the new year!  I first read about the idea on Leslie's blog and went for it.  This was way better than a cookie exchange, if you ask me.

Invite some friends over, whip up a few tasty snacks (like these, or this, or these), prepare a variety of warm drinks (since this would probably be enjoyed more in cooler weather) and have everyone bring four batches of their favorite soup in four separate ziploc bags.  You could do more, but I thought four was plenty of cooking for everyone to prepare.  Everyone puts their labeled bags-o-soup on a table and then you draw numbers to determine the order of picking.  Number 1 starts and can take one bag of whatever soup they want (except their own!).  Number 2 goes and so on until you get through round one.  Number 1 starts the second round of selecting, but has to take a different kind of soup.  You can't pick the same soup twice.  You do four rounds of everyone picking a bag of soup and then it's over.  Everyone leaves happy with four different bags of soup to freeze and eat during the winter season.  Brilliant! 

I gave bags of homemade croutons as a party favor and was lucky enough to keep Mulligatawny, Sherried Tomato Soup, Potato Kale, and a Chicken Sausage Bean stew for my family.  Yummy!