Seinfeld character guide
Who is The Soup Nazi in Seinfeld?
Yev Kassem, the brilliant and tyrannical soup chef whose strict ordering rules and instant bans gave Seinfeld one of its most famous lines: "No soup for you!"
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The Soup Nazi's Sitcomdle clue card
The five clues the game shows when The Soup Nazi is the answer or a guess.
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- Show
- Seinfeld
- Played by
- Larry Thomas
- First episode
- “The Soup Nazi”Season 7, Episode 6, aired November 2, 1995
- Role
- Side character
- Network
- NBC
- Occupation
- Soup stand owner and chef
- Show run
- 1989 to 1998
- Also known as
- Yev Kassem, Soup Nazi
The Soup Nazi makes the best soup in New York and enforces a rigid set of rules for anyone who wants some. Larry Thomas played him in a single classic episode and a finale cameo, and the role earned him an Emmy nomination.
On Seinfeld, The Soup Nazi's story runs through Elaine Benes (Banned Customer), Cosmo Kramer (Favorite Customer), Jerry Seinfeld (Customer), George Costanza (Customer), and Frank Costanza.
Who is the Soup Nazi?
The Soup Nazi runs a tiny takeout soup shop with a line out the door. His soups are so good that customers put up with his demands: have your money ready, order quickly, move to the side, and do not make small talk. Break a rule and he will refuse to serve you, often banning you for good.
His real name, Yev Kassem, is not revealed until the series finale. For most viewers he is simply the stern figure behind the counter who decides who deserves soup.
Personality and comedy
The joke is how seriously everyone takes him. Jerry practices his order like a rehearsal, George panics over a request for bread, and the whole line moves in fearful silence. The Soup Nazi barks his verdicts with perfect, unblinking authority.
Kramer is the one customer he warms to. The two share an odd kinship, and the chef even gives Kramer a spare armoire, a gift that turns out to have huge consequences for his business.
Key storylines
In "The Soup Nazi," Elaine is banned for a year after chatting at the counter, and Jerry has to choose between his girlfriend and his soup after she gets them both in trouble. When Elaine finds the chef's secret recipes hidden in the armoire he gave Kramer, she threatens to make them public, and he closes his shop and leaves the country.
He returns in "The Finale" as one of the many people from the gang's past who testify against them, explaining that Elaine's stunt ruined his business and sent him off to Argentina.
Behind the scenes and legacy
The episode was written by Spike Feresten, his first credited Seinfeld script, and the character was inspired by Al Yeganeh, a real New York soup vendor known for his strict counter rules. Yeganeh was offended by the portrayal.
Larry Thomas received a 1996 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. "No soup for you!" became one of the most quoted lines in TV history, and Thomas has reprised the character in commercials, including a 2012 Super Bowl ad alongside Jerry Seinfeld.
Key The Soup Nazi episodes
- “The Soup Nazi”Season 7, Episode 6The Soup Nazi refuses George, bans Elaine for a year, warms to Kramer, and shuts down his shop when Elaine finds his recipes.
- “The Finale”Season 9, Episode 23Yev Kassem testifies against the gang, revealing his name and that Elaine's stunt drove him to Argentina.
Season and episode numbers follow the original broadcast order.
The Soup Nazi's catchphrase
- “No soup for you!”
More lines fans still quote: famous sitcom catchphrases and who said them.
The Soup Nazi: frequently asked questions
Who plays the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld?
Larry Thomas plays the Soup Nazi in "The Soup Nazi" in 1995 and returns for "The Finale" in 1998.
What is the Soup Nazi's real name?
His name is Yev Kassem, which is revealed in the series finale.
What episode is "No soup for you!" from?
It is from "The Soup Nazi," season seven, episode six, which first aired on November 2, 1995.
Was the Soup Nazi based on a real person?
Yes. He was inspired by Al Yeganeh, who ran a well-known soup shop in New York City.
Is the Soup Nazi in the Seinfeld finale?
Yes. He returns as a witness against the gang in "The Finale," where his name is revealed.
Test yourself: The Soup Nazi quiz
5 questions about The Soup Nazi. Think of your answer, then open the reveal to check it.
- Question 1
Which line does the Soup Nazi bark at customers who break his ordering rules?
- "Hello, Newman."
- "Giddy up!"
- "No soup for you!"
- "Get out!"
Show the answer
Answer: C. "No soup for you!"
The catchphrase comes from "The Soup Nazi," where George is sent away soupless for griping about the missing bread and Elaine gets banned for a full year.
- Question 2
What is the Soup Nazi's real name?
- Babu Bhatt
- Poppie
- Mr. Kruger
- Yev Kassem
Show the answer
Answer: D. Yev Kassem
His name is revealed in the series finale, where he testifies that Elaine's stunt drove him to move to Argentina.
- Question 3
Who plays The Soup Nazi in Seinfeld?
- Larry David
- Matt LeBlanc
- Larry Thomas
- Ken Jenkins
Show the answer
Answer: C. Larry Thomas
Larry Thomas plays The Soup Nazi.
- Question 4
In what year did The Soup Nazi first appear on Seinfeld?
- 1999
- 1998
- 1992
- 1995
Show the answer
Answer: D. 1995
The Soup Nazi debuted in 1995, in "The Soup Nazi" (Season 7, Episode 6). That year is the Debut clue in the game.
- Question 5
Which episode was The Soup Nazi's first?
- "Diversity Day"
- "Pontiac Bandit"
- "The Soup Nazi"
- "The Stake Out"
Show the answer
Answer: C. "The Soup Nazi"
The Soup Nazi first appeared in "The Soup Nazi," Season 7, Episode 6.
Sources and corrections
Reference pages used for this guide, including character, cast, and episode details.
Could The Soup Nazi be today's mystery character? Name them in eight guesses.
Play today's SitcomdlePeople in The Soup Nazi's life
- Elaine BenesBanned CustomerPlayed by Julia Louis-DreyfusJerry's ex-girlfriend turned best friend, a sharp, confident, and famously blunt New Yorker who works her way through publishing jobs, bad bosses…
- Cosmo KramerFavorite CustomerPlayed by Michael RichardsJerry's wild-haired neighbor across the hall, who bursts through the door without knocking, eats Jerry's food…
- Jerry SeinfeldCustomerPlayed by Jerry SeinfeldThe fictional version of comedian Jerry Seinfeld, a neat, observational stand-up living on the Upper West Side who serves as the calm…
- George CostanzaCustomerPlayed by Jason AlexanderJerry's lifelong best friend, a neurotic, cheap, endlessly scheming New Yorker whose lies, job disasters, and doomed romances make him one of the…
More Seinfeld characters
- Frank CostanzaSide characterPlayed by John Randolph and Jerry StillerGeorge's explosive, eccentric father, a short-fused former Army cook who invented the holiday Festivus and shouts "Serenity now!" to keep his blood…
- NewmanSide characterPlayed by Wayne KnightJerry's smug, scheming nemesis down the hall, a mail carrier and Kramer's partner in crime whose every arrival is greeted with a frosty "Hello…
- David PuddySide characterPlayed by Patrick WarburtonElaine's deadpan, on-and-off boyfriend, a square-jawed mechanic turned car salesman who paints his face for the New Jersey Devils and answers almost…
- Estelle CostanzaSide characterPlayed by Estelle HarrisGeorge's shrill, melodramatic mother, who squabbles nonstop with her husband Frank, nags George about everything…
- J. PetermanSide characterPlayed by John O'HurleyElaine's grandly eccentric boss at the J. Peterman clothing catalog, a world-traveling adventurer who narrates his own life like an old radio drama.
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