Trader Joe’s Sauce Makes Great Soup
I’m the big secretive of the Facebook group. Whenever I tried to be more active, post or reply to other people’s posts, something annoying would happen and I would end up walking away in a fit of disproportionate rage (or getting banned for unnecessary sarcasm). This has happened to countless bands and horror film bands and it’s taught me how to keep quiet in bands that I really like. Food Ideas for Busy Moms by Trader Joe’s is one such group. I treasure it.
Most of the group’s post is images of food that the post’s author considers “wrong” or “bad”. They are usually concerned about congealed fat, which is not a cause for concern. Sometimes there are photos of beetles in a bagged salad. Sometimes there are food ideas, such as this egg casserole , which uses Trader Joe’s frozen spinach puck and artichoke sauce. The soup I made today also uses this sauce and was made in honor of busy moms.
Busy moms not only introduced me to sauce, they rewired my brain to “make dinner.” Instead of preparing individual ingredients for cooking, they collect various Trader Joe ingredients with different flavors. It’s fast. It’s simplified. It is delicious.
This soup is also fast, streamlined and delicious. The base has two ingredients: a pack of TJ’s frozen spinach and artichoke sauce and a pint of TJ’s chicken broth. Add both to the pot and simmer until the sauce has melted and the soup is hot. Like a spinach and artichoke dip, it’s creamy, salty, savory, and pairs well with crispy bread. It reminded me of the soup served at a California pizzeria or any other chain restaurant you can find in an upmarket mall. (I mean it as a compliment. I love CPK.)
Once you’ve made the base, you can customize it to suit your taste buds. I added some salt, garlic powder, Louisiana hot sauce, and some leftover grilled chicken, but I think the mini meatballs are going to be pretty damn tight. You can also add rice or noodles to increase the volume of the dish if you want to make a meal out of it. Go crazy. Unlike the Facebook groups where I got banned, there are no rules with soup.
Spinach and artichoke cream soup
Ingredients:
- 1 Pack Trader Joe’s Frozen Creamy Spinach Artichoke Sauce
- 1 pint chicken broth (or vegetable broth if you want to keep it veggie)
- One grilled chicken breast, cut into small pieces.
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Louisiana hot sauce to taste
Add the broth and dip into the soup pot and heat over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer until the sauce is completely melted and the soup is hot. Add chicken, salt and garlic powder. Taste and season more if you like. Add hot sauce to taste. Garnish with grated cheese (if you like) and serve immediately.