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AIBU?

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Original poster

Is my husband right to be embarrassed when I serve soup for lunch to guests

467 replies

MusicLass · 09/04/2023 06:44

This is a bit of a long-running joke in our house, but underpinned by genuine feelingsā€¦

i like making soups from scratch (E.g vegetable, lentil, minestrone) and try to make them tasty, nutritious and filling. For some visitors I make soups for lunch or dinner, for the same reasons above, plus I can make them in advance and just reheat giving me more time to be attentive to guests. I also either bake or buy nice bread and butter to go with the soup. Something for pudding would be offered too.

DH gets embarrassed when I serve soup to guests, saying itā€™s not proper food and itā€™s not being hospitable. He would expect a pasta or rice dish round someoneā€™s house, or meat.

He happily eats soup when itā€™s just us as a family.

AIBU to serve soup to guests? Or is he right? Generally he is more sensitive about social etiquette than me. Heā€™s also from a Mediterranean culture, which could be a factor here.

Thanks for reading and helping us to settle this!

OP posts:
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9
Oysterbabe · 09/04/2023 06:58

I love soup so would be happy with that for lunch with some nice bread.

YellowAndGreenToBeSeen · 09/04/2023 06:56

Homemade soup, good bread and a decent cheeseboard would be a lovely lunch. Add in some red wine to go with the cheese and Iā€™d be very happy with that!

Ladybug14 · 09/04/2023 06:56

If you are inviting friends for dinner and only giving them soup and bread, then that seems odd imo

If you are inviting friends for a light lunch (not main Sunday lunch), soup is fine, imo

Also , as husband is so vocal about the niceties of food, let him cook. Grin I'm sure he'd be marvellous and get everything just right Confused

MintJulia · 09/04/2023 06:55

As a starter for a winter' party, it's great, warming, tasty, healthy and doesn't fill people too much before the main course. And gazpacho in summer is fabulous.

WaltzingWaters · 09/04/2023 06:55

absolutely fine as a lunch in general (as long as not Sunday and guests starve themselves thinking theyā€™d get a Sunday roast or something!)
Not really something Iā€™d serve guests for dinner (though Iā€™d be happy with it myself if accompanied by nice bread and some pudding afterwards!).
If your DH wants something more to offer guests he can prepare and cook it himself!

KatherineJaneway · 09/04/2023 06:54

For a light lunch / snack maybe, for dinner, that would not be OK in my book. I find most soups not filling enough unless they are stew like.

notacooldad · 09/04/2023 06:54

Personly I would find it awful.

ApolloandDaphne · 09/04/2023 06:52

Soup and bread for lunch is lovely. I would find it slightly odd to be given soup and pudding for dinner if I was visiting. Nice for a family tea though.

BCBird · 09/04/2023 06:51

If he is that embarrassed why doesn't he do something more substantial? If I popped to a friend unannounced or it was a last minute invitation then soup would be fine but if it was a more formal/planned arrangement i would be hoping gor more than soupšŸ™„

SquigglyGum · 09/04/2023 06:50

Also I think being "embarrassed" is a bit harsh.

electriclight · 09/04/2023 06:49

Homemade soup and bread for a casual lunch with friends is fine. I'd love that. Also fine to start at dinner but would expect it to be followed by the main course.

Backstreets · 09/04/2023 06:49

Pretty light dinner, fabulous lunch
either way if he feels strongly about it he can cook, surely

RogersOrganismicProcess · 09/04/2023 06:48

For lunch soup is fine. For dinner it would only be ok as a starter, before a main meal.

VioletPickles · 09/04/2023 06:48

Is it lunch or dinner? Lunch - perfect. But Iā€™d probably expect more for dinner.

SquigglyGum · 09/04/2023 06:47

If the soup was hearty, had protein (plant based or meat), and was served with some lovely bread I'd be very happy with that for lunch! Tbh its probably a bit light for dinner unless accompanied with a starter or some cheese after. As long as there was enough and I felt full I would probably be happy though

LibrariansGiveUsPower · 09/04/2023 06:46

Soup for general lunch is fine. Not for Sunday dinner or evening meals though, unless itā€™s a starter.

Reallybadidea · 09/04/2023 06:46

He can cook then if it bothers him