They call it ‘Million Dollar Soup’. The name alone evokes lots of yummy things. And the official photo looks like it took a million ingredients and all day to make. But that’s an illusion! MDS takes only min-utes to prep and a few ‘extra’ ingredients…
Make a list of all the ingredients you’d love to incorporate in a thick, rich, creamy winter soup. You’ll find most of them in the ingredients roster of Million Dollar Soup. You’ll also find some components that might strike you as… shall we say ‘unwise’? But don’t worry about that. It all works out in the end…
What it is…
Recipe creator Natalie Gravois, allegedly, “brings a mix of comfort, creativity, and chaos to the kit-chen.” Following along that line, she describes her creation thus: “This million dollar soup is creamy, cheesy, rich, and savoury, and yet uses convenient rotisserie chicken, and easy canned soups to cre-ate the base. Garnish with crushed Ritz crackers, sliced green onion, crumbled bacon, and Cheddar cheese, and yes, you will feel like you have stumbled into a fortune.”
I’m sure you caught the apparent ‘thing that doesn’t belong’ in her rundown… Canned soups are pretty much agreed to be among the worst offenders for added Salt. But we’ll discuss that issue a little later. First, the highlights of the recipe.
What’s in it?
The ingredients list totals 15 items. And that doesn’t count the additional 4 recommended for garn-ishing and serving. Don’t be discouraged. You have most of those items in your kitchen already. They’re staples such as salt and pepper, potatoes, onions, and celery.
Among the items you will probably have to source from the supermarket specially for this dish will be a rotisserie chicken, a can of condensed cream of chicken soup, and a can of Cheddar cheese soup. Maybe the sour cream, chicken broth and Mozzarella cheese, too, depending on who you are and how you shop…
What you do
It’s easy and quick. The most time-consuming task in the 4-step Instructions is sautéeing the onions and celery.
‘Suggested serving’…
“Serve garnished with shredded Cheddar, bacon, scallions, and crushed Ritz crackers”
My take
This soup sounds more like a meal, to me! It could technically qualify as a stew, especially if you lavish some extra onions, celery and spuds on it. With a little tinkering, you could produce a vegetarian version!
I love the idea of the Cajun Seasoning, which gives MDS a little New Orleans zing! It’s also a perfect complement to the rotisserie chicken…
About the canned soups… I’ve noted – and you should, too – that sector-leader Campbell’s and a number of other soup makers have expanded their lines to include ‘healthier’ formulations, with less salt and less fat. They still contain additives. But Campbell’s, for one, has chosen more-or-less natural substances, such as cornstarch, yeast extract, soy protein and beta-carotene / turmeric (for colour), wherever possible to substitute for artificial flavour, colour and texture additives.
Whatever else you may say about it, Natalie’s creation will stick to your chilly ribs and warm the cockles of your winter-worn heart…
~ Maggie J.