New Year, New Soup Contest

From 160+ Nominations to One Champion 👑

After receiving more than 160 soup nominations, our corporate chef and culinary team selected five standout ideas to move forward in our New Year, New Soup competition.

Each recipe was developed by one of our chefs, with one chef representing each Piping Kettle location. After weeks of testing, refining, and in-store trials, the soups were ready for their final moment in the Soup Showdown.

On February 11th, all five soups were featured at every Piping Kettle location for one day only, and the response was incredible.

Meet the 2026 Soup Showdown Chefs & Creations

Dal Curry (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
Created by Chef Tatjana

Vegetable Lasagna Soup (Vegetarian)
Created by Chef Francis

Tom Yum with Tofu (Vegan)
Created by Chef Jason

Polish Sauerkraut Soup (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
Created by Chef Ashley

Korean Beef & Kimchi (Dairy-Free, Contains Seafood)
Created by Chef Caitlin

 

And the Winner Is…

After all the tasting and voting, Polish Sauerkraut Soup was crowned Best New Soup of 2026. Congratulations to Chef Ashley, whose creativity and skill truly set this soup apart 🏆

The votes were extremely close, with strong support for all five soups. Because of that, all five creations will be added to our regular menu rotation, appearing at different times throughout the year.

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Thank You, PK Family

To everyone who submitted nominations, came in to try the soups, and shared feedback, you made this showdown one to remember. Your ideas and input continue to shape what we create next.

As a thank you for voting, we awarded FIVE family-sized meals 🎉🍲 Check your inbox. Dinner might be on us.