What are the best Fall/Winter soups that can be made the day before serving to a crowd?

Merrill's butternut squash soup is also a season-appropriate soup which can be made ahead. http://food52.com/recipes/14799_creamy_butternut_squash_soup_with_sherry. As a side note, I recently made it but didn't have leeks, so I just used some shallots and onions instead. I also didn't have sherry and used cognac instead. The soup was fantastic! I agree with Amanda about making the quiche crust the day before. Depending on what kind of filling you're using, you can also sauté the vege's and meat the night before so that all you have to do on Sunday is fill the quiche with your already sautéed filling, add the eggs/cream/milk filling, and pop that bad boy in the oven. Enjoy the party!

Hi there. Potato Soup and my Fav tortellini soup are great the next day. Potato isn't mine, but I double the good stuff (potatoes and bacon). http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/twarda/recipes/Potato_Irish_Soup.html.

Theresa Lua's Tortellini Soup ...

2t olive oil
1C chopped onion
2 garlic cloves
1 28-oz can Muir Glen whole tomatoes
2 pkgs fresh tortellini (one white & one green)
1/2-3/4 lb meatballs* - optional
3 cooked & cubed (bbq'd is best) Johnsonville sausage (beer&braut YUM) - all meat is optional
1 extra lg can chicken broth
1 15oz can Cannelini beans (white kidney)
2t dried or fresh parsley
1t dried or fresh basil
1/2t ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese - grated

*if adding meatballs, I add 1/2 pkg dry Golden Onion or onion soup mix to 1lb lean beef. Form TINY balls (bite size) and fry until brown in olive oil. Drain.

Rough chop canned tomatoes reserving all liquids. Heat olive oil in soup pot and sauté onion & garlic until translucent. Add basil & parsley and carefully cook another minute or two. Add tomatoes & ALL liquids (incl. Broth). Bring to boil, reduce heat, add meats and simmer for 20 minutes. Add tortellini and beans. Simmer GENTLY according to pasta pkg (20 min max!). When pasta is tender, spoon into bowl & top w/Parm cheese or cool to refrigerate.

Enjoy!! ~April Hughes aka Carletta

I'm honored to have your personal advice, Amanda, I've been cooking and baking my way through the "New York Times Cookbook" that you transformed into an encyclopedia for all cooks at every level to explore. Food52 has evolved into the greatest, culinary sight on the World Wide Web. Thank you for feeding my obsession with finding the "perfect recipe". Thank you, thank you, thank you...

This is a wonderful carrot soup, that can be made ahead: http://www.food52.com/recipes/9743_roasted_carrot_soup And I'd make the quiche crust one day in advance, and fill it and bake it on Sunday morning.