Let me preface this by saying I’m one of the rare birds who actually enjoys book club. (I started a “no-pressure” book club with a crew of pals back in 2016 and when the pandemic hit, we made it virtual—that’s how dedicated we are.) But when a friend of mine introduced me to the idea of “soup group,” it sounded like the perfect seasonal swap. Here’s how it works.
What is soup group? Basically, it’s an opportunity to gather an intimate group of pals for a bowl (or two) of homemade soup. The host does the cooking, and you rotate homes for each meet-up. That’s it!
Do you really just serve soup? You could ask somebody to bring wine or a baguette. But really the meet-up is meant to be casual and low-key.
Will I miss talking about books? If you’re worried the conversation won’t be lively, you could assign everyone an article to read or pick a current event that’s ripe for discussion—like the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Netflix docuseries or White Lotus fashion. Or you could simply make it an add-on to your usual book club. (A homemade pot of soup while discussing the latest from Elizabeth Strout sounds pretty cozy, no?)
