Cozy Soup Dinner Party

Host a cozy soup dinner party for cool weather entertaining at home. These design ideas and menu choices will guide you through it.

This cozy soup dinner party is an inviting combination of comfort food, a welcoming tablescape, and charming accents for stylish entertaining.

Let’s play a game. It’s the middle of winter, you’re not into football or awards shows, but you still want to host a party. What do you do? How about hosting a cozy soup dinner party with lots of rustic and earthy accents!

That’s exactly what I’ve created here, and I certainly hope you’ll be inspired. As a matter of fact, this year I’m hoping to create a different themed dinner party each month in hopes that gathering around the table will become less theoretical, and more of a reality. I’ve already got two ideas lined up for February, so stay tuned.

I first shared this dinner party menu on RecipeGirl, where I’ve been contributing the past few months. I’ve included even more photos here, plus some links to recipes and additional ideas to help you with your planning. A cozy soup dinner party is the perfect idea for a casual fall or winter night, don’t you think?

Cozy Soup Dinner Party menu & recipes

To help you plan, I’ve laid out the menu and recipes for you. Of course, if you have your own favorites then by all means use them.

• I wanted this dinner to have lots of seasonal flavors so we started with my spiced apple hot toddies and butternut squash soup shots. These are served on a welcome table as guests enter, and it’s a fun way to get the party started.
• Since this is a seated dinner party we’re serving one variety of soup, and salad {for a variety of soups, try setting up a soup bar like this one}. This beet & goat cheese salad is perfect for the occasion, while smoked chicken chowder is hearty and filling. The soup is served in bread bowls that I picked up from Panara for about $2 a piece.
• Finally, one of my favorite {and easiest} desserts is served: pumpkin pie dump cake prepared and served in mini baking dishes. Serve pumpkin, and pumpkin spice all winter long, I say!

Cozy Soup Dinner Party tablescape and details

Coming up with ideas for a table setting is always my favorite part. I kind of LOVE how this table turned out as it highlights rustic and organic elements.

• To lay a foundation I used this Kantha Bengali quilted throw. These are a hand-sewn tradition in India, and are made from fabric remnants so you get a gorgeous combination of colors and patterns in a single piece. They make terrific table covers, picnic blankets, bed throws, or sofa/chair throws. It really sets the tone for this earthy palette of colors too.
• Speaking of earthy, the place settings couldn’t be more so! Individual sized wooden cutting boards act as our “plates” to hold the bread bowls of soup. Underneath, I laid ceramic tiles as a “charger” or place mat of sorts. These are part of our surplus we had left over from building the house, so…freebie! My mini wooden plates from Crate & Barrel hold the salad.
• The centerpiece is a vintage soup tureen I picked up at a thrift store, making second helpings easy to retrieve for guests. Flanking the tureen are small bowls of olives, and stuffed peppers, and pots of herbs that double as party favors for guests to take home. The plants are a nice alternative to flowers for this particular setting, and the fragrance is intoxicating.
• As the guests enter the party, they can grab a small shot of soup served in demitasse cups, and then head into the party with their hot toddy cocktail in hand.

There you have it – the perfect plan for a cozy soup dinner party with friends. I hope you’re inspired to entertain during these cold, dark winter nights.