Are you planning on serving soup at your next gathering? If so, then you have come to the correct place. When making soup for a large group, one gallon is needed for every eight people when serving an adult-sized entrée. For child-sized entrées, one gallon is needed for every 16 children. When serving soup as a side, one gallon is needed for every sixteen adults and thirty-two children. Below are charts to help you determine exactly how much soup will be needed to feed the size of your group. WAIT! Before you jump down to the charts it’s important to know where most people go wrong. When your guests serve their own soup they will ALWAYS give themselves too much. You either need to account for that and make a lot of extra, or have some sort of serving station where the guests are served. This disposable (yes very convenient) serving equipment is reasonably priced and makes everything so much easier. At very least I would recommend getting some smaller ladles so people will be less likely to over serve themselves. Here are a set of serving ladles of various sizes so you can choose what’s best for your serving situation. Good luck! Oh wait, one more thing. Hear me out. What are your guests putting the soup in. You might opt for normal bowls, but if you want to reduce food waste, you might try these 8 oz soup cups with lids! I love these. It feels like you are at a restaurant or something, and you can take something to go. It might not be a great fit for every event, but they have been a hit at the events I’ve attended.
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Soup is a good main dish, especially in the colder months out of the year. However, for some, it is not the most filling entree, so it is good to have a hearty supply on hand, so that everyone can eat until they are full. For the average adult, two cups of soup will be enough. Some will eat a little more and some will eat a little less. So, it’s good to count on having at least 2 cups for every dinner guest. It’s always good to have a little more as a backup. There are 16 cups in every gallon, so one gallon of soup will be just enough for 8 people. But, as we talked about, it’s good to have some as a backup, and sometimes when you buy or make things in bulk, there’s no choice to have some reserved. Below is a chart that will help you decide how much soup will be needed for adult-sized entrées. For the chart, we assume that every adult will eat two cups of soup, and each gallon costs thirty dollars.
| Group Size | Amount of Cups Needed | Amount of Gallons Needed | Price Based on Amount of Gallons |
| 10 | 20 | 2 | $60 |
| 20 | 40 | 3 | $90 |
| 30 | 60 | 4 | $120 |
| 40 | 80 | 5 | $150 |
| 50 | 100 | 7 | $210 |
| 60 | 120 | 8 | $240 |
| 70 | 140 | 9 | $270 |
| 80 | 160 | 10 | $300 |
| 90 | 180 | 12 | $360 |
| 100 | 200 | 13 | $390 |
Gallons of soup for an adult-sized entrée Keep in mind that the soup cost will vary based on the type of soup that you make or if it is purchased from a store instead of homemade.
Children will not need as big of portion sizes as the adults. They will probably only eat about a cup of soup, so your dinner will go twice as far. Again, some bigger or hungrier children will eat more but some will also need less. This is just an average. Below is a chart that will help you decide how much soup will be needed for child-sized entrées. For the chart, assume every child will eat one cup of soup, and each gallon costs, again, thirty dollars.
Perhaps you are not making soup as the main course, but rather a side dish or a starter. You won’t need to make nearly as much soup as you would for the main dish. You don’t want to fill everyone’s stomach before they get to the next course so plan on the adults in the party only eating one cup of soup. This will be just enough to keep them happy for the next dish. Below is a chart that will help you decide how much soup will be needed for adults when served as a side. For the chart, assume every adult will eat one cup of soup, and each gallon costs thirty dollars.
Just like we talked about before, kids will eat probably half as much as adults. So, if adults need a one cup portion size for a side or appetizer, then you can guess that you will probably need just a half-cup for each child. This will really make your soup (and your money) go further. You might also anticipate children to eat a little less, so you’ll probably have a bit left over. I don’t know many children who finish their side dishes and their main dishes. Below is a chart that will help you decide how much soup will be needed for children when served as a side dish. For the chart, assume every child will eat one-half of a cup of soup, and each gallon costs thirty dollars.
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