Our story
A table set over twenty years.
Soups inspired by Southern Black and Caribbean food traditions, shaped by travel, friendship, and the joy of gathering.
SoulFire was not designed from a perfectly formed plan. It emerged as family traditions, friendships, travel, healing, experimentation, and opportunity began to reveal their connection.
a gathering that became a traditionPhilosophy
The meal has always been about more than the meal.
At the annual Soup, Pudding & Pie Parties, friends brought pots of their best soups, tasted up to nine creations, debated their favorites, and celebrated the cooks with love. The room made one thing clear: food can make connection, belonging, and joy feel effortless.
How we got here
Every chapter added something to the bowl.
Late 1990s
Chapter 1
A family recipe starts the table
SoulFire's roots reach back to the founder's mother's sweet potato pudding, a recipe passed down through her mother and grandmother. Friends in Connecticut began asking for pans to bring to their own holiday tables.
2002
Chapter 2
The first Pudding & Pie Party
When hand-grating sweet potatoes became too much for one person, friends gathered in a Battery Park apartment to learn the recipe. Cooking gave way to laughter, stories, and a lasting lesson: food makes belonging feel easy.
2010
Chapter 3
Soup proves itself a meal
A cold-weather conversation, a Seinfeld reference, and a question from a friend led to the first Soup, Pudding & Pie Party. The verdict was immediate: soup is absolutely a meal, especially with Mom's cornbread nearby.
2010s
Chapter 4
One perfect spoonful
As the annual party grew to as many as nine soups, full bowls gave way to intentional tastes. Each amuse-bouche became a layered expression of toppings, texture, personality, and the cook's vision.
2025
Chapter 5
An idea becomes SoulFire
A season of reflection, an invitation from community builder Ayana, and conversations with family and friends made the idea real. A mofongo-style plantain soup helped shape a customizable, build-your-bowl approach with room for vegetarian choices.
2025
Chapter 6
Shared publicly, then soft launched
A free tasting at Steuben Vintage Closet in May brought longtime supporters, neighbors, salon clients, and passersby together. On November 16, SoulFire soft launched at Soup, Scents & Sculpting, where people tasted, shared feedback, and took soup home.
Today
Ignite Flavor. Celebrate Soul.
Today, SoulFire creates soups rooted in Southern Black and Caribbean traditions, with room for global flavors and the people who keep expanding the story. Each bowl is crafted for comfort, choice, and connection.
comfort, choice, connection