Soup Ideas

Okay, so this weekend we're hosting a shindig at our house with some of my hubby's law school friends that I've never met. In the invitation, he promised that his wife would make "the best soup you've ever tasted." While I appreciate his confidence in my culinary skills, it put a little bit of the pressure on to provide a stellar soup.

I'm not sure if there are any dietary restrictions, so I'm trying to take that into account in my planning. I can still hear my friend Jana exclaiming, "The contents of your fridge are a Jewish person's nightmare!" when she came to visit me, and I only had ham, bacon and sausage to offer her. (Hey, I was living in France, and they love pork over there!) Ever since then, I try to be a little more conscious of my guest's particular diets. Since there will be 10-15 of us, I was thinking about making two different kinds.

Yesterday, I turned to Facebook for some ideas from friends. The gave me some good ideas.

• My friend Jana suggested the Chicken Tortilla Soup that I made for her when she came to visit a few years ago. It's an old Bon Appetit recipe, and it IS very good. As long as I don't have any vegetarians coming, I think that I could get away with just making an extra large pot of this. I'd probably make it with tortillas cooked inside rather than my modified version Quick Tortilla Soup.
• My friend Carmen sent me this link for Oxtail Stew. I met Carmen back in my France days, and she is definitely a more adventurous diner than I am. I've never had oxtail - I've never felt the need to eat a cow's tail. But knowing Carmen, I assume that the recipe is probably very delicious.
• My hubby's old roommate Brian sent me a recipe for a Speedy Mexican Posole. Despite growing up in California, I've never actually tried posole. Brian suggests serving it with warmed corn tortillas on the side and cilantro and avocado as toppings. It sure does look good!
• My friend Jill suggested a White Bean Soup with Sausage and Sage that goes in the crockpot. I originally made it at our going away party. It is a tasty recipe that I found in Family Feasts for $75 a Week by Mary Ostyn.
• I also have thought that I might try Fishmama's Tortellini with Sausage and Vegetables and/or her Cheddar Cheese Soup with Broccoli, Zucchini and Carrots. 

So, I'm still undecided but I need to figure it out quick.

What's your favorite soup to share with a crowd? I'd love to hear more suggestions! Post your recipe or a link in the comments section.