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

[MusicLass]

This is a bit of a long-running joke in our house, but underpinned by genuine feelings…

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 it’s not proper food and it’s not being hospitable. He would expect a pasta or rice dish round someone’s house, or meat.

He happily eats soup when it’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. He’s also from a Mediterranean culture, which could be a factor here.

Thanks for reading and helping us to settle this!

I love soup, your husband sounds like a dick!

A really good soup , is a treat , takes ages if you start with your own stock
I love soup ok for dinner if it’s a good one
serve with a parsley lemon garlic pesto type thing to dress it up
maybe a good salad and cheese course would be nice

Ok for lunch if a hearty soup, perhaps with some sandwiches or as another alternative ? Or followed with cakes etc
Definitely not suitable for evening meal though. Hopefully your husband will be helping too.

Soup & tiger bread anyday over a roast for me!

My mums and dads soup is literally a roast blended… potatoes, loads of veg, meat and stuffing…. It’s lush…. No idea how someone can say it’s NOTHING like a
roast when it literally is a roast 😂
Id challenge anyone to fit in a pudding after

Sounds delicious 😍

I love nice soup and good bread for lunch. At dinner, I wouldn't serve soup as a starter.

I have no issue with other people’s preferences, but that has nothing to do with my point that soup is not like a roast.

I didn’t say it was like a roast, I said it’s as filling as a roast
and like stated it depends what goes in it!

For lunch with some lovely sourdough bread

Exactly.

It's bizarre how people can make such definitive statements about how soup can only be lunch but not dinner or is not suitable for guests when they have no information about what the soup is like or how much there is of it.

There's a whole load of soups [[https://www.taste.com.au/galleries/20-soups-filling-enough-meal/iade1fcw?page=15 that are a meal in itself, especially if served with nice bread, or another accompaniment like dumplings etc. Plus the OP is also serving pudding, then it's not like anyone is going to be short of food is it?

I would serve it for lunch with a sandwich followed by a dessert, yes! I guess it depends what your friends serve in comparison.

For lunch with a nice bread and butter yum. For dinner as a starter. Your husband sounds a right snob.

Ex-MIL always had soup for lunch. It doesn't feel like a 'meal' to me, only part of one! I actually feel the same way about Asian soups that are meant as a whole meal, and the massively chunky soups I make myself. I never went to MIL's without a generous supply of snacks in my handbag 😂

I'm one of those who feel that guests should be over-catered. I enjoy knowing everyone can have as much as they want without feeling they're stretching my hospitality.

It really depends on the relation you have to the guests. If these are friends, then sharing soup and wonderful bread, fresh butter, etc is wonderful (as long as soup is not the only thing you ever serve?). Maybe add some more tapa-style dishes? And as he is from a Mediterranean culture, food and friends sharing should be his style?
Of course, if it’s colleagues or bosses or business, then a lovely soup for starters and something more impressive for a main would be more suitable.
My DH makes wonderful soups that are full meals. He does an asparagus one with crispy chorizo, grilled asparagus, eggs hollandaise, etc etc which is an impressive dish. Your husband should appreciate your efforts, I am assuming now though that you do not only ever serve soup ever.

Sounds delicious for lunch to be honest and well done for making your own from scratch. Next time though tell your DH he is in charge of the food and let him get on with it the rude so and so.

I am also from a Mediterranean culture and I don’t think it’s socially acceptable to serve only soup to your guests, however hearty it is, and even for lunch. I agree with your husband. I love cooking soups myself and in my cuisine there are dozens of very healthy and nutritious soups, but I would find it not filling even for a family lunch. Soup is a starter and never the main dish in any given cuisine. Just think of any resto menu.

I’ll be honest and say I’d be disappointed if I’m invited for lunch at someone else’s home and find out it is soup! Even with protein and a nice bread on the side it reminds me of hospital food so not very exciting. I’m sorry, OP!

….apologies of course there are main dish “soups” like ramens etc in Asian cuisines but my understanding is your soups are more like good wholesome minestrones etc - hence I don’t believe they can be anything but starter.

I go to my older neighbour for lunch and she cooks up a storm. It's soup - really rich and prepared with a proper stock from scratch. Beautiful bread and a cheese board and pudding.

She also does a light soup as a first of four course dinner - think watercress, or cucumber, or gazpacho. Followed by a main, then cheese, then a light pudding.

Each to their own.

I absolutely love homemade soup! And homebaked bread would be the ultimate dream combo!

He IBU!

Starters, old people, those who have just had braces fitted and those with eating disorders …

Its funny business, isnt it. I know people who would have soup for lunch if eating by themselves, or at home or when going out for lunch with colleagues. But somehow inviting people to lunch and giving them soup seem different.
(In my home country a soup would be either eaten in the evening on its own or a lunchtime before main meal. )

I would happily serve soup for lunch that is home made. A main course type of soup with lots of bits in, with a lovely crusty hot loaf, lots of butter is superb. But I would expect a cheese course or pate with biscuits and a pudding. Ive been given soup and bread before for lunch and found it wanting.

I would serve a light soup as a starter for a dinner party, with hot rolls and butter, but never as a main course.

Much as I love soup I am aware many others don't. I would be a bit 😬 if someone just offered me soup and what you said.