suggestion for soup for New Year's Day open house?

[jwg]

I always have an Open House on New Years Day from noon to 4 p.m. I serve a ham, turkey, black eyed peas and always a tureen of soup. Looking for a suggestion. In the past, I've done leek and potato, corn chowder, shaker country chicken. Just looking for inspiration ...

[flamale863]

How about Spanish Bean Soup?? Its a big favorite here in Florida..Google a recipe and see if it appeals to you...You will need spanish chorizo,garbanzo beans(use canned) a meaty smoked ham bone and some saffron..We serve it with lots of hot crusty Cuban bread but if you dont have Cuban bread where you are use a crusty French bread....The rest of the ingredients are ordinary things...I hope you try it and i know you will love it...

[mexivilla]

An "Open House" sounds like a standup affair. Let me suggest that your soup be a kind that can be served in a cup or mug.

[jwg]

yes, I have a special set of mugs which I pull out each year for this party. I actually, ended serving gumbo. Although I like bean soups, thought that sometimes disagrees with people. I love the avogolemonno soup, but was uncertain how that would keep on a buffet in a tureen. Loved french onion soup, but thought that was best when you can melt the cheese on the crouton floating in the soup. Again, won't work on the buffet. Gumbo was great, although I may have ruined by Le Creuset dutch oven browning the sausage then the chicken in it. Need to work on scrubbing now.

[BaconBits]

Cauliflower soup. I found a great recipe on Food52 and substituted 3 cups of water with chicken stock. It was easy, delicious, creamy AND healthy!!

[Bacardi1]

Sausage & Lentil soup is a New Year's traditional repast. And even though you're also serving black-eye peas, lentils are different enough to not make your menu too "beany".

And beans are always good luck for New Year's.

[ddavis]

I made a black bean with smoked ham soup last week. Made the stock with the carcass of a Greenberg Smoked Turkey Delicious!

[millygirl]

Il Divo's steak and mushroom soup from the slow cooker thread sounds amazing. Cant wait to make it.

[barberinibee]

If your ham is not glazed, then I suggest a chestnut soup laced with dry sherry

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Creamy-Chestnut-Soup

I also think cauliflower is a surprisingly popular veg, and a cauliflower and apple curry soup smells and tastes wonderful if your crowd is OK with curry

http://www.starchefs.com/DBoulud/html...

[magiesmom]

We like a chestnut soup fro New years also.

[barberinibee]

Chestnut soup is so simple! It's also something of a conversation-provoker. Most people have never had it. But its natural sweetness and wintery warmth make it a crowd pleaser.

For a party, I sometimes like to have something that really makes the whole house smell great, which is why I also suggested a curry soup.

The rest of the open-house meal is so meaty and protein-y, I also wanted to stick to non-protein suggestions.

[JerryMe]

We just went to a New Year's Eve-Eve party and the soup was chicken tortilla - Lots of additions to add - cheese, green pepper, more tortillas, avocados, diced tomatoes, onion. So, so good. Sorry that I don't have a recipe, but I will be bugging the host until I get it.

Oh! Roasted red peppers! "Smack" excellent!

[thistle5]

Yum! I want someone to invite me over for New Years, w/ that kind of spread-maybe a spinach, collards, or green-based soup to complement the blackeyed peas?

[foodieX2]

French onion!!! Always a hit around here, with or without the cheese topping.

[hetook]

French Roasted Pumpkin and Celeriac with Walnut oil.

[LJS]

Because it is both delicious and colourful, I like curried butternut squash soups on such occasions-I mellow mine out with a can of mango, puree the results and spike it with rum.

[DuchessNukem]

Ah, a butternut squash soup (w/apple and/or ginger) is so wonderful. So rich and satisfying.

[weezieduzzit]

I've been craving beer cheese soup with popcorn on top for days.

[herby]

I make mushroom-barley soup that everyone likes. I use Moosewood recipe and add soaked porcini mushrooms to the soup.

Another soup that I like in the winter is pea soup made with smoked turkey instead of ham and a few dry chilis.

[chloebell]

I'll be thinking about this. In the meantime, tell me about your Shaker Country Chicken soup.

[jwg]

It's a recipe from Shaker Village in Pleasant Hill, KY. Our family visited in the 70s and purchased their cookbook. We have enjoyed the recipe since that time. Chicken with celery, peppers, onion, and apple. It is finished with milk. I'll find the recipe and repost.

[monfrancisco]

Funny-- I was going to suggest "Traditional Senegalese Soup '21' Club" (see Epicurious). Sounds very similar, with the addition of curry powder, raisins, and a little tomato paste. It's delicious, but maybe not different enough from what you've done in the past. Great minds and all...

[jwg]

yes, there is curry in the shaker chicken soup recipe. you just jogged my memory!