Spontaneous Soup Party

Busy Mom and Project Manager Claire remembers the night she answered the door to a friend standing on her porch with a pot of homemade soup and a plate of brownies. Her friend said she was just checking in, let Claire know that they were thinking about her, and hoped she had a great night. As a newly single mom, this random and much-appreciated act of kindness meant so much, and it inspired Claire to find her own way of paying it forward.

Of course, when we asked Claire to participate in our Random Acts of Kindness challenge, she was thrilled and right on board! She wanted to do something meaningful and fun, and something easy enough for anyone to recreate on their own.

We love her idea for hosting a “Spontaneous Soup Soiree” for so many reasons—it’s surprisingly simple (like most good things,) includes everyone, and can instantly make an ordinary evening into something special. And we can’t resist anything involving good soup, naturally.

Soup and Soul

In honor of her thoughtful friend, Claire chose to invite everyone over for a “Soup and Soul” meal, focusing on feeding the people she loves but might not get to see often enough. According to Claire, “there’s something so kind about offering a meal, and sharing that meal and that time with someone,” and we couldn’t agree more!

Want some tips on hosting a “Spontaneous Soup and Soul Soiree” of your own? It really is as easy as Claire describes…

1. Make a post on social media inviting everyone to dinner. Share the time and place, and let folks know that everyone is welcome.
2. Provide delicious soup and good company!
3. Enjoy an evening reconnecting with friends and family, and challenge them to participate in a random act of kindness of their own!

Life gets busy, and with increasingly hectic schedules, it’s easy to feel lonely and a little isolated. Fortunately, bringing people together is easier than you might think.

If you want to serve others with a batch of homemade goodness, we’ve got the perfect Chicken Noodle Soup recipe. It’s filled with plenty of wholesome ingredients and lots of love.

One-Pot Creamy Chicken Noodle Stew

• 1-2 Tbsp butter
• 2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2-4 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 lb diced chicken breast (uncooked)
• 8 oz Linguine
• 3 cups broth
• 1/2 cup Cream
• salt and pepper, to taste
• Parsley

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, celery and chicken. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Add linguine, broth and cream to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil, stirring every 2-3 minutes, so the noodles don’t stick together. Once noodles are al dente, remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley and enjoy!

How Are You Spreading Love?

Whether it’s buying a stranger’s coffee or providing a meal, we’d love to hear how you’re making the world a little brighter—soup, bread, and cookies optional. (But always recommended! Because who doesn’t love soup???)