A Conscious Feast by Nicole Aloni

Italian Chicken Soup

Here is my Christmas present for all of you holiday-harried, over-hooplah’d, package wrappers.  This strategy for hosting a no-fuss party and creating a score of meals at the same time comes from my radio co-host, Jamie Peha (TableTalk).

When the weather turns cold and winter has taken over the neighborhood, a steaming bowl of homemade soup really hits the spot.  It’s the perfect solution for those evenings when you just don’t feel like cooking, but still crave something hot and delicious.

We think a soup exchange is a yummy way to host a winter party that addresses all of that —and provides lots more nutrition than a cookie fest.

Here’s the 1.2.3

1. Invite 5 or 6 friends to participate in the soup exchange.

2. Ask guests to bring six (1 1/2 qt.) already-frozen batches of their favorite homemade soup or stew, plus one batch ready to serve.  The frozen soups need to be labeled.

3. Have your guests bring their frozen soup in coolers. Ask each guest to bring 6 copies of their soup recipe so everyone can go home with a copy.

4.Get the logistics out of the way at the beginning of the party. Have everyone exchange their frozen soups when they arrive, so they can put them away in their coolers and relax.

5. Heat the soups that your guests brought for tasting (you might need to borrow a couple of crock pots or rice cookers from your friends to make this easier), and serve them with a great salad and bread or gourmet crackers.

Soups that I like to make for a soup exchange: Classic Onion Soup, Mole Poblano Style Beef Chili, or Italian Chicken and Escarole Soup

Once you get the hang of it, you might want to consider some of these additional  touches.

− Ask each guest to bring a bottle of wine or a beer that pairs with their soup and make it a beverage tasting too.

− Go to a garage sale or antique shop and get a variety of fun bowls to serve the soups in.

Sending you armloads of holiday good cheer and visions of a steaming bowl of soup from all of us at TableTalk Radio.

Manny Rodriguez