You mean....everyone would bring a container of soup....and you will divide it up? or do you plan to eat all the soup then and there?

At a cookie exchange. usually, everyone makes enough cookies for everyone to have 3 or 4....and a few more for refreshments at the party.
Everyone is presented with a container...or asked to bring one, and for their 3 or 4 dozen cookies, they get to take home 3 or 4 dozen assorted cookies. Not sure how this will work with soup.

Searching brings up guidelines for having a party.

Here is a link that might be useful: Soup swap party.

Here are some of the details and my specific questions and concerns.

Have at least 6 people participate, what should be the limit if more want in?

Everyone will bring a container of soup for everyone attending plus 1 which will be used for everyone to taste.

How big should the containers be? Suggestions have been 1 qt or 1 1/2 qt? Family sizes range from 1 -5 people.

Some people say bring the soup anyway you want (container wise) others insist the soup is in ziplock freezer bags pre-frozen flat. I like containers better.

I will make sure there are a variety of soups and ask those attending to bring the recipe to share.

I will provide everthing else needed including desserts, bread, etc.

Now some of these events are real swaps where you would say I will trade you my chicken noodle for your potato soup. Others are just like a cookie exchange where you get 1 of each variety.

I don't want any hurt feelings from no one wanting to trade for your soup and there being a clear "favorite". I would like everyone to get 1 of each variety BUT being that I have a family of 4 I actually would rather have 2 containers of 3 types of soup than 6 containers each different. It really doesn't matter that much to me either way I just love soup.

Hope that all makes sense. If you were attending what would you like for sizes, container types, way to exchange?

That sounds like a great way to beat the winter doldrums, Debra. I have hosted soup parties but never a soup swap. I think the family size of the recipients is irrelevant because I'd rather go home with six smaller containers of different varieties of soup than fewer large containers. Larger families could have their own soup tasting with as many different soups as needed.

I would go with each person bringing seven containers (one for tasting and six for sharing) each containing three cups of soup. That equates to a cup more than five quarts of soup, which is about the maximum I'd expect anyone to make.

It wouldn't make any difference to me whether the containers were bags or more substantial ones. Note: Those reusable Ziplock lidded plastic containers in holiday colors are always drastically reduced after Christmas.

Six plus you sounds like an ideal number for the first try. Please let us know how it progresses. Have fun!

That sounds like fun. I'd redo the math, though. If there's six guests plus one host, that's seven attendees, so seven containers to share, plus one for tasting.

Sally

Great idea for a party.