I am a big Facebook group lurker. Anytime I’ve tried to be more active, and post or reply to someone else’s post, something annoying happens, and I end up quitting in a fit of disproportionate rage (or being banned for unnecessary snark). This has happened with countless music and horror movie groups, and it has taught me to stay silent in the groups I truly enjoy. Trader Joe’s Meal Ideas for Busy Moms is one of those groups. I treasure it.
A large portion of the group’s post are pictures of food that the poster considers to look “off” or “bad.” Usually the part they are concerned about is congealed fat, and not really cause for alarm. Sometimes there are pics of bugs in bagged salad. Occasionally, there are meal ideas, like this egg bake, which uses a frozen puck of Trader Joe’s spinach and artichoke dip. The soup I have made today also uses this dip, and was made in tribute to the busy moms.
Not only did the busy moms introduce me to the dip, but they’ve re-wired my brain in regards to “making dinner.” Instead of cooking individual ingredients to make a meal, they assemble various flavor-packed Trader Joe’s ingredients. It’s fast. It’s streamlined. It’s delicious.
This soup is also fast, streamlined, and delicious. The base is made from two ingredients: apuck of TJ’s frozen spinach and artichoke dip, and a pint of TJ’s chicken broth. Add both to a pot and simmer until the the dip has melted and the soup is hot. Much like spinach and artichoke dip, it’s creamy, salty, savory, and good with crusty bread. It reminded me of a soup you’d get at the California Pizza Kitchen, or any other chain restaurant you might find in a slightly upscale mall. (I mean that as a compliment. I love CPK.)
Once you have the base made, you can customize it to suit your tastebuds. I added a little salt, garlic powder, Louisiana hot sauce, and some leftover rotisserie chicken, but I think mini meatballs would be tight as hell. You could also add rice or noodles to bulk it up, if you want to make a meal out of it. Go crazy. Unlike the Facebook groups from which I have been banned, there are no rules with soup.
Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Soup
Ingredients:
1 package of Trader Joe’s Frozen Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Dip1 pint chicken broth (or vegetable broth if you want to keep it vegetarian)The breast meat of one rotisserie chicken, shredded into bite-size pieces1/2 teaspoon fine salt1/2 teaspoon garlic powderLouisiana hot sauce to tasteAdd the broth and dip to a soup pot and warm over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the dip is fully melted and the soup is hot. Add the chicken, salt, and garlic powder. Taste and season more if you so desire. Add hot sauce to taste. Garnish with shredded cheese (if you like that kind of thing) and serve immediately.
