CROCKPOTS BRIMMING WITH SOUPS and chili crammed the tables in a Waseca garage on a recent Saturday evening as my sister Lanae and her husband, Dale, hosted their annual Soup Party.
It is a rite of autumn, this gathering of family and friends to sample a soup smorgasbord. Each guest arrives with a crockpot of homemade soup or chili—this year 22 types ranging from Bourbon Chili to Chicken Fajita, Beer Cheese and many more tasty varieties.
You can always count on Teresa to bring a crock of Oyster Stew from across the street. And Monica, my other sister, never deviates from her Broccoli Cheese Soup. Kristi, a particularly creative cook, prepared savory Dill Pickle and Hungarian Mushroom Soups.
All soups are labeled.
My middle brother arrived this year from southwestern Minnesota with Mystery Meat and Ham Soup. He challenged guests to name the mystery meat for a $10 prize. It was alligator.
Food traditions extend beyond the soups. Julie from next door always brings bread, although this year not as much given she’s battling cancer. My sister the hostess always buys a mega container of cheese balls and dumps them into an orange tub. Monica always brings Bloody Finger Cookies.
A sarcastic message chalked on a board in the garage.
A talented floral designer, Lanae always decorates her home and yard with Halloween themed items—this year witches hats swaying from a tree, strategically placed pumpkins, Halloween signage and more.
Everything is ready. Vintage metal trays will hold soup samples scooped into Styrofoam cups.
In the backyard, my brother-in-law Dale builds and tends a campfire as guests retreat to talk and laugh and settle in after eating way too much soup and too many sweets.
As the sun sets in southern Minnesota, guests gather on the driveway and in the garage to sample soups and chili.
It’s a memorable evening, an autumn tradition that connects family and friends through good food and conversation. Rarely have I missed Lanae and Dale’s Soup Party.
© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Oh, oh, oh………I have some chili that would fit right in…..is there room?????? What a totally FUN event (you shared a bit on last Friday, too) that brings ppl together in such a relaxed/time-suspended coming together. A treasure!!
Oh, yes, your delicious chili would have been a great addition to Lanae’s soup party. Thank you for having us at your house for lunch. We enjoyed every minute of food and conversation.
It was wise of you middle brother to label his contribution as “Mystery Meat and Ham Soup”. It sounds so much more appetizing than alligator. 🙂
Yup. Folks may not have eaten had they known his soup included alligator.
I think it’d be fun to have a board of “judges” to twist and score the soups, and have a wining soup champion for the year
I think that would be fun, too. But that’s not something my sister, the hostess, has wanted to do.
22 different types of soups. Wow, that is amazing and no doubt very tasty. The bloody finger cookies are hilarious.
I couldn’t even try all 22. So those I’ve previously eaten, I did not take.
Nothing like the change in weather to bring out a variety of hearty soups.
Absolutely. I think I could eat soup daily. I love it that much.
What a wonderful tradition! That looks like so much fun. I’ve got to do something like this with my friends. They would love it. I’m always looking for an excuse to have a party.
There you go. I’ve entertained the thought also. Then I always end us saying, “Maybe next year…”
Dale and I love having our annual soup party. The reason we don’t judge is I don’t want to hurt any ones feelings. My favorite was the Hungarian mushroom, someone else said it was their least favorite. Most enjoyed the beer cheese, as my brother said “who wouldn’t love it with two great items in it–beer and cheese”
Getting ready for the party is a lot of work, I even take Friday off to get ready. My great niece Arianna was thrilled when Grandma said she could come to the soup party. Now if you really want to have some fun come to Lamberton to help with horseradish making this Saturday. You can have a free whiff!!
For some reason, I missed the beer cheese soup. But I tried the mushroom and loved it. Remember the year I brought my apple-potato soup? Not your favorite, I know. I still like that soup.
Thanks for hosting, sister! We always look forward to your and Dale’s soup party.
What a wonderful time! I love soup. And nice that the weather was good enough to be outside! That was a LOT of soup!
You would love this event, Gretchen. It’s a soup lover’s delight.
This is such a great idea, I love soups so It would be right down my ally. Did you try the alligator soup, I am not that adventurous. I would have passed, not knowing what the meat was. Sounds like you had a wonderful time with family!
Of course I tried the alligator soup. Since I didn’t know it was alligator, and even afterward, I was fine.
You are a brave one…. I cant get myself to try these wild meats, heck…. I wont even try lutefisk , 🙂
Jackie, Jackie, Jackie…you must try lutefisk at least once. Buzzard Billy’s in La Crosse has alligator on the menu. No, I didn’t order it. Post forthcoming on that eatery.
What Fun To Be Had and Great Eats too – YUM! Happy Week – Enjoy 🙂
Pretty much great food!
I love this idea and all those soups look and sound amazing. Yum. It is definitely getting to be soup weather now and this event is one I know you look forward to every year. 🙂
You’re right. I love my sister’s soup party.
Oh, how I love soup and chili too.. Wish I was there looks like a great time.
It was a great time. You would have loved sampling all of those homemade soups and chilis.
Oh yeah, for sure.. They all looked so warm and inviting. Mouth’s watering thinking about it now.lol
I love this autumn soup idea.What soup was your addition to the party?
I made a pork hominy soup. First time I’ve ever used hominy. I didn’t even know what it was. Fortunately I was able to find hominy in Faribault. The soup was delicious.
What a great party. I have never seen so many crock pots! And so many varieties of soup! I’ve never ever had alligator! I’m quite sure we can’t buy alligator anything in this part of the world. But as for crocodile – that’s another story! This halloween celebration looks like a lot of fun and I’m sure every year everyone looks forward to it xx
Yes, we definitely look forward to Lanae and Dale’s soup party. Fun and great food and conversation.
My brother had the alligator shipped from somewhere down South. I’m pretty sure it’s not available in rural Minnesota where he lives.
We are still waiting on some of that cool Minnesota weather to come our way. When it does, yes a big bowl of soup or chili will definitely be on the menu.
Frost up here and days and evenings getting colder and shorter.
We have rain…yes days are definitely getting shorter.
I dislike the shorter days. I need more light.
What a great event!! I am not a Halloween person but I found those bloody finger cookies a real delight! Ha ha!
Those “cookies” are now part of the Soup Party tradition.