The New England Patriots may have lost 29-13, but Boston can still score a win (or a bowl of soup) at this Sunday’s Souper Bowl.
Haley House is holding its 18th annual Souper Bowl, which supports the operations of its soup kitchen and community programming. Established in 1966, Haley House serves Roxbury and the South End, providing services that include a soup kitchen, food pantry, affordable housing units, workforce development training and education programs.
Guests will choose one of 400 ceramic bowls, each hand crafted by students and community members at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Each bowl can be used to sample soups made by local chefs.
Among the soups will be a traditional pumpkin soup from New England’s first Haitian food truck, a red lentil soup from a restaurant nominated for a James Beard award, and a brisket chili from a local soul food restaurant.
Participants select their bowls at the 2025 Haley House Souper Bowl. (Courtesy Melissa Ostrow)
Participants select their bowls at the 2025 Haley House Souper Bowl. (Courtesy Melissa Ostrow)
The Souper Bowl started in 2009 when a group called Boston Localvores approached the Haley House Bakery Café with the idea of spotlighting locally sourced soups.
Two years later, students from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design’s Clay for Change group proposed making bowls for the Souper Bowl. In doing so, they became part of the Empty Bowls movement, in which ceramicists and chefs donate their craft to combat food insecurity.
In its first year, Clay for Change made 200 bowls for the Souper Bowl. This year, the group produced a record number of 400 bowls.
Last October, Clay for Change and the MassArt’s Center for Art and Community Partnerships hosted an all-day pottery event. Ceramics students and faculty taught participants how to construct a bowl from a lump of clay, while Haley House staff shared the work that they do, and how the Souper Bowl contributes to their mission.
Aries Green is a junior ceramics major at MassArt and a co-chair of Clay for Change. “I've been affected by food insecurity my entire life, even now. And so this specific cause, and this aspect of what Haley House does, means a lot to me.”
Reggie Jean, executive director of Haley House, constructs a clay bowl with Jody Burr, visiting assistant professor in 3D arts at MassArt and faculty advisor for Clay for Change. (Courtesy Melissa Ostrow)
Reggie Jean, executive director of Haley House, constructs a clay bowl with Jody Burr, visiting assistant professor in 3D arts at MassArt and faculty advisor for Clay for Change. (Courtesy Melissa Ostrow)
MassArt student group Clay for Change hosted a bowl-making event last October in preparation for the 2026 Haley House Souper Bowl. (Courtesy Melissa Ostrow)
MassArt student group Clay for Change hosted a bowl-making event last October in preparation for the 2026 Haley House Souper Bowl. (Courtesy Melissa Ostrow)
On Sunday at Hibernian Hall in Roxbury, 400 bowls will span across several tables. Some are blue, others are brown. Some are made by wheel, graceful and round. Others are intentionally lumpy, the potter’s hands evident on the surface. One bowl rests atop a sculpted donkey. Another is made with tiny cats inside.
Elena Belle White is the director of MassArt’s Center for Art and Community Partnerships. She has attended 15 Souper Bowls, often bringing her partner and two kids. By now, she has dozens of bowls in her home. “I love getting a bowl of cereal in the morning. ‘Ooh, which Super Bowl bowl am I going to use?’”
This year, culinary partners include Comfort Kitchen, Gourmet Kreyol, Revival Road Farm, and Poppa B's BBQ & Soul.
“ I think that scoring a goal is every time you try a new soup, it's always fantastic,” said Green, who has attended four Souper Bowls by now. “And it's such a joy to be able to let the chef know personally because they're usually the one who's serving. And, it's really, really sweet seeing their faces light up when you go back for seconds.”
Chris Faison, director of culinary arts at New England Culinary Arts Training, serves a bowl of soup at the 2025 Souper Bowl. (Courtesy Melissa Ostrow)
Chris Faison, director of culinary arts at New England Culinary Arts Training, serves a bowl of soup at the 2025 Souper Bowl. (Courtesy Melissa Ostrow)
In recent years, the Souper Bowl has raised $50,000 to $60,000 per event through sponsorships and event tickets. The funds will directly support the Haley House’s programs, including their soup kitchen, reentry program for incarcerated individuals, and cooking and nutrition program.
“This is really about community engagement,” said Reggie Jean, executive director of Haley House. He thinks of the Souper Bowl as the organization’s championship game: “This is an opportunity to find some of the best teams in the community, but with one mission, and that's to support food insecurity, housing, and the work that Haley House does.”
“It takes a couple months to prepare for the event, but it’s definitely a labor of love,” said Jean.
The Souper Bowl takes place Sunday, Feb. 15, from 12 to 3 p.m. at Hibernian Hall in Roxbury. Tickets for the event range from $60 to $120, and discounted tickets are also available upon request.
This post has been updated to clarify that both Clay for Change and the MassArt’s Center for Art and Community Partnerships hosted the ceramics event in the fall.