I have an 8 qt and I think 5 guys and a few gals could pretty well empty it...IF they liked my soup! LOL!
I would figure 1 guy and 1 gal per quart....so they would be licking the bottom of your 5 qt pot.
Soup freezes, get a biiiig pot and make lots and freeze any leftovers.
Linda C

Pots bigger than 8 quarts aren't a lot of fun to cook with or to move around the kitchen when they're full. In your case, I'd go with an 8 quart pot and use your 5 quart pot for a second smaller batch if needed.

(What I would do if this was at my house is get out my two 4 quart pots and make two different kinds of soup.)

Thanks for the tips! You're so right about guests emptying a pot *IF* they like my soup!.... so that other tip about making two kinds of soup is great, something for everybody.

I'll get another 5 qt pot, that way I don't have to deal with a 12 qt beast in my kitchen sink later on. Thanks again!

Myself and four kids can pretty well kill off an 8 quart pot of whatever. So I'd estimate that you'll be needing what you'd cook in 16 quarts worth of pots, or 12-14 net quarts of soup.

Cooking more than one soup in smaller pots sounds like a good idea. Two 8-quart pots should take care of what you need.

Get the big pot...AND make another too.
Get the 12 qt pot and another 5 qt as well...
If you are feeding a crowd, it's a royal pain to try to deal with 2 separate but equal pots of soup!
16 quarts is 4 gallons....but you won't fill it to the top...yes awful to move...but I use a 2 cup measure to bail some soup out of the pot into a freezer container or into bowls....and carry the rest.
Seems I get some perverse pleasure out of making a huge pot of soup....something to do with not starving and feeding the masses and being a child of the end of the depression.
Linda C

Eep! 16 qts? Really? Whoo. As much as I want the pot to stay small, it just isn't gonna happen with 10 people, is it? Even with bread and other munchies, there truly is nothing worse at a party than an empty soup pot and the guests looking around hungrily. Okay, I'll get a bigger pot (or two), and I guess it'll be manageable if I make the soup ahead of time, like the day before, and then reheat in those big pots. Give the flavors a chance to mingle and all that, right? ^_^

I'm going to have to get a longer ladle.

My largest stock pot is 30 Q. I use it for things like lots of corn on the cob, and cooking clothes to get stains out. That might be a leeeeeetle too large for you, but I would say get a bigger one than you planned initially, like the 16 quart. You might not use it frequently, but over the years it will pay for itself.

It is nice to have a pot that thick soups don't come to the top of, because when they are bubbling, and being stirred, they tend to splatter. Extra space is good.

Also, if you ever have reason to, say, make a lot of marinara for the freezer for eating on later dates,you might appreciate having it around.

I keep my huge one in the garage, and clean it before each time I use it.

And for the record, my "baby" is a Sheltie, too! ;)

I use my 16 qt easily every 2 weeks or more often on the average. If you are making a bit pot of, say stock....and filling the pot with bones...you need a big pot because those soup bones take up a lot of room.
I have some soup mugs/bowls that hold a pint when filled to a polite level...that is not over flowing. A man will routinely eat 2 bowls and a woman one to one and a half so that's a quart of soup per couple...your 5 qt pot will feed 5 to 6 people with enough leftover for lunch for one.
Also a big pot is good for jams and jellies.
Linda C

"I have some soup mugs/bowls that hold a pint when filled to a polite level...that is not over flowing. A man will routinely eat 2 bowls and a woman one to one and a half so that's a quart of soup per couple...

Perhaps there's a typo in there somewhere. If not, your scenario adds up to 1.5 to 1.75 quarts per couple. :)

No typo....just miscalulalation..
I had a pint bowlfull just now....and unfortunatly that's all there is unless I thaw something.
Sounds impossible that a couple would hat almost 1/2 a gallon of soup...but that's what happens.

I use a 16-quart frequently for 8 people with no leftovers to speak of (several big guys!)

If the soup is good, wouldn't you need to worry only when you fill it up to make the soup? Afterwards, the pot will be empty and easy to carry to wherever your heart desires. Go for the large pot!