La Soupe is a Cincinnati, Ohio-based nonprofit organization that bridges the gap between food waste and hunger by rescuing surplus food and transforming it into nutritious meals for people experiencing food insecurity.
Overview
La Soupe was founded in 2014 by Cincinnati chef and restaurateur Suzy DeYoung, daughter of Pierre Adrian, chef of the renowned Maisonette restaurant. After 25 years in the restaurant industry, DeYoung shifted her focus to feeding people in need after learning from a local teacher that some students were so hungry they had trouble climbing stairs at school. She began by delivering soup and fruit salad from her restaurant to the school and soon changed her business model to donate a quart of soup to a local nonprofit for every quart purchased. She eventually converted the restaurant into a nonprofit organization.
Model
La Soupe operates on a "Rescue, Transform, Share" model. The organization partners with local restaurants, farms, bakeries, grocery stores, and food pantries to accept donations of still-usable ingredients that would otherwise be discarded. Volunteer chefs then develop recipes and prepare meals—typically soups, salads, and rescued baked goods—in their own restaurant kitchens. Volunteer drivers pick up and deliver the prepared meals to schools, churches, food pantries, and homeless shelters for distribution.
As of 2024, La Soupe reported rescuing 1.4 million pounds of surplus food annually and turning it into 1.8 million ready-to-eat meals. Since its founding, the organization has diverted over 8 million pounds of food from landfills and shared 6.8 million nourishing servings through hundreds of community partners.
Programs
- Bucket Brigade: A network of more than 60 local chefs who accept donations through La Soupe and use their own surplus ingredients to make soup in their restaurant kitchens.
- Soupe Mobile: A food truck operating on a "pay what you can" pricing model.
- Cincinnati Gives A Crock: A program providing cooking lessons and a crockpot to teens.
- La Soupe To Go: A storefront in the Walnut Hills neighborhood offering fresh and frozen soups, salads, and meals for purchase to support the mission.
Awards and Honors
- 2016: Outstanding Not-for-profit Business Leadership, National Recycling Commission
- 2016: Snail of Approval (Slow Food Cincinnati)
- 2017: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award for Outstanding Public Service Benefiting Local Communities
Additional Context
In January 2019, La Soupe coordinated with Cincinnati State's Midwest Culinary Institute to provide free meals to furloughed federal government workers during the U.S. government shutdown, serving an estimated 2,000 workers and their families.
The organization is headquartered in the Walnut Hills neighborhood of Cincinnati, an area identified as a food desert. Its facility includes a 5,000-square-foot commissary kitchen, a carryout counter, and teaching space.
