What soup do you serve for Christmas.

[texaspeppers]

I am looking for inspiration.... What soups do you serve to start off your Christmas meal and set the festive tone. Years ago I had cut out a chestnut soup recipe from a magazine to which I added truffle oil just before serving. Unfortunately, the recipe page was much to the new puppy's liking.and I haven't been able to find something to quite fit the holiday note this year. Any suggestions??

[agoodbite]

I once did a fennel and potato soup w/ fennel, celery root and potatoes that included fennel bulb, seed and fronds that contained no cream that was warm and comforting yet refreshing. It was a great starter to a big Thanksgiving feast.

[magiesmom]

I don't celebrate but once when invited to a friend's for Christmas dinner she started with a chicken broth based chestnut soup, lightly creamed, in tiny bowls, it was delicious before the prime rib .

[AZGrandpa]

We'll be serving lobster bisque before the prime rib, as a starter. This is a very leisurley dinner, may take 2+ hours for six guests, but very traditional.

[sunflwrsdh]

French onion soup is my favorite. Before a rib roast, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and carrots. We keep Christmas dinner very simple:)

[eight_inch_pestle]

I usually do just a few spoonfuls of a very rich and intensely mushroomy cream of wild mushroom soup, or a few spoonfuls of a vegetarian creamy delicata squash soup. I might do the latter and add chestnuts this year, esp. as I might end up having a vegetarian or two at the table.

Now that we're out in the PNW, I've pondered doing something with oysters, clams, mussels, etc.

[texaspeppers]

Oops, forgot to mention that here it's -25C outside around Christmas time. Everyone here is more than happy to start with a warming soup course ;-)

[tzurriz]

My brother-in-law's family always has oyster stew for Christmas dinner. We have hot & sour soup though to start off our feast. ;)

[Breadcrumbs]

No soup for us either as we find the dinner itself to be filling enough.

That said, if I were to do a soup I'd want it to be light and special.

What about a chili crab broth with just a few strands of crab meat in each and perhaps top each bowl w a few leaves of baby purple basil

[todao]

I sometimes like to serve a small portion of consomme with the first course, just to sharpen the appetite.
Morel mushrooms floating in a mushroom consomme is especially nice and a deliciously light start to a good meal.

[Harters]

Usually none. The meal is generally so calory laden that there's no need of a starter.

However, this year, we're coming over all poncy and pretentious and going to serve an amuse bouche soup in coffee cups. Probably butternut squash for the colour. The family will take the piss out of us for doing it.

[mamachef]

We've done a similar thing using frozen peas and mint and making small "shooters" of chilled pea soup with a dice of pimiento, and they laughed at first. But we laughed last. It was a nice start; light and pretty darn fresh-tasting with the inclusion of the mint.