Soup Sunday

Two weeks ago was the annual Soup Sunday fundraising event for Youth Villages. Over 30 local restaurants participated, offering up their best soup, gumbo, bread, dessert, or specialty item. Each had a booth set up in the concourse, forming a huge circle of food! For a $20 donation, you go to taste it all, then vote on your favorites.

We arrived about 15 minutes before it started to find the lobby already completely packed, everyone anxiously awaiting the tasting to start. From attending in past years, my friend and I had our game plan ready. They opened the doors, we grabbed our trays, skipped the first few booths, and each collected a few samples. When our trays were full, we met back up to share. If you don’t mind it, sharing is KEY at this event or you will get too full too fast!

I made the lap around the Forum, making sure I didn’t miss anything, making notes on my handy guide. When finished, I am not going to lie – I went back and gathered my favorites for a second round of tasting so I could make an educated vote!

After retasting, I had my soup vote narrowed down to three – Bahama Breeze’s seafood chowder, Grove Grill’s creamy French onion soup, and Royal Panda’s hot & sour soup. In the end, I voted for the Panda. I have had many variations of the hot & sour before, but none have ever compared to this one. Plus, I felt like I could eat more of it compared to the creaminess of my other two finalists.

My other votes: Flying Fish in the gumbo category; A Moveable Feast’s roasted zucchini, garlic, and parmesan dip in the specialty category (SO refreshing, unique, and delicious); Dixie Café’s homemade rolls in the bread category (incredibly soft, moist, yeasty); and Paula Deen’s Buffet’s strawberry cake balls in the dessert category (melt-in-your-mouth creamy, covered with a thin layer of white chocolate).

Yeah, I definitely laid on a couch for 9 hours after the event, deliciously happy and full. What a great event to raise money for such a worthy cause. Plus, you get to try food from restaurants you might not get to otherwise.

And bonus! Since Royal Panda had provided so much of their delicious soup, I got to take a cup home. It didn’t even make it to the next day. Somehow I found room in my stomach to eat it for dinner. If you didn’t make it to Soup Sunday this year, become a fan of Youth Villages on facebook, follow them on Twitter, and check back on their website for next year’s date.

PICTURES! (click to see larger)

The crowd anxiously awaits, the first round of tasting, The Memphis Doctors Dance Band provides live music.


The concourse was lined with booths, full trays of tasting with friends, the Sweet Potato Queens volunteered.


Gathering up my favorites, my top 3 soups, the TALL stack of cups after tasting.