Plan a soup or salad for a pop-up restaurant
Plan and prepare a simple vegetable soup or fresh salad for a pop-up restaurant, choosing ingredients, writing a recipe, and serving a tasting.
Step-by-step guide to plan a soup or salad for a pop-up restaurant
Elementary Pop Up, How to Make a Pop Up, for beginners
Step 1
Decide whether you will make a vegetable soup or a fresh salad for your pop-up restaurant.
Step 2
Choose 3 to 5 main ingredients you want to use and one extra like a grain or cheese.
Step 3
Pick how many people you will serve and write the number on your paper.
Step 4
Write a clear ingredients list with measurements for that number of servings.
Step 5
Write simple step-by-step recipe instructions with times for cooking or chilling.
Step 6
Gather all materials and ingredients at your work station.
Step 7
Wash your vegetables under cold running water.
Step 8
With an adult's help cut or peel the vegetables as your recipe says.
Step 9
If you chose soup ask an adult to cook the soup on the stove following your recipe.
Step 10
If you chose salad toss the salad ingredients with the dressing in a large bowl.
Step 11
Season the soup or salad to taste with salt pepper and herbs.
Step 12
Portion a small tasting serving onto a plate or into a bowl.
Step 13
Invite a family member to taste your dish.
Step 14
Write one sentence of feedback on your paper about what to keep or change.
Step 15
Share your finished soup or salad and your recipe on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we can't find the extra grain or cheese listed in the recipe?
If the extra like quinoa or feta is hard to find, substitute another pantry grain such as rice, couscous, or pre-cooked lentils, or swap with a different cheese like shredded cheddar or grated Parmesan and note the change on your ingredients list.
Why did my soup taste bland or my salad turn soggy, and how can I fix it?
If the soup tastes bland, taste and adjust salt, pepper, and herbs during the 'Season the soup or salad to taste' step and simmer longer to concentrate flavor, and if the salad is soggy make sure to dry vegetables well after 'Wash your vegetables under cold running water' and only toss dressings in the final 'If you chose salad toss the salad ingredients' step.
How can I adapt the activity for a 4-year-old, 8-year-old, or 12-year-old?
For a 4-year-old let them pick ingredients and help wash vegetables under cold running water while an adult does all cutting and cooking, for an 8-year-old have them measure ingredients and use a kid-safe knife with supervision to follow the 'Write clear ingredients list' and prep steps, and for a 12-year-old let them scale servings, write full recipe instructions with times, and help cook the soup on the stove with an adult nearby before posting on DIY.org.
How can we make the pop-up restaurant more special or extend the activity?
Make a themed menu card listing your '3 to 5 main ingredients and one extra', plate and photograph the 'Portion a small tasting serving' attractively, ask family tasters for the one-sentence feedback to display, and share the finished recipe and photos on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to plan a soup or salad for a pop-up restaurant
Pop-Up Tutorial 1 - Introduction - Materials and Basic Theory
4 Videos
Pop-Up Tutorial 1 - Introduction - Materials and Basic Theory
Pop-Up Tutorial 7 - Adding Extra Creases to Basic Pop-Up Shapes - Part 1
Pop-Up Tutorial 8 - Adding Small 3D Pieces onto Pop-Up Shapes
Pop-Up Tutorial 40 - Pioneers of Pop-Up - Part One
Facts about cooking and food safety for kids
🥣 Archaeologists have found ancient pots that show people were making soup thousands of years ago!
🥕 Carrots were originally purple and white; the orange carrot we know was bred in the Netherlands in the 1600s.
🍽️ Pop-up restaurants are temporary dining events that let chefs test menus — the modern trend grew popular in the 2000s.
🧾 The word "recipe" comes from the Latin "recipere," meaning "to take" — recipes are like step-by-step maps for cooking.
🥗 The word "salad" comes from the Latin word "sal" (salt) because greens were often tossed with salty dressings.
How do I plan and prepare a simple vegetable soup or fresh salad for a pop-up restaurant?
What materials do I need to plan and prepare a soup or salad with a child?
What ages is planning and preparing a pop-up soup or salad suitable for?
What are the benefits and safety tips for a child planning and serving a soup or salad pop-up?
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