There are occasions when a simple bowl of broth will do, and other times we want a soup that really knocks our socks off. Our million dollar soup recipe is the latter. It tastes like a million bucks because it’s rich and savory thanks to the combination of bacon, caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, potato gnocchi and fennel. White wine, chicken stock and heavy cream make the liquid extra-flavorful and creamy, and toasted Parmesan bread crumbs add crunch to every luxurious spoonful.
Serve million dollar soup as a special cold-weather supper or as a notch-above dish to impress your friends at the next dinner party. The soup joins the family of million dollar recipes that are worth their weight in gold!
Ingredients for Million Dollar Soup
- Sweet onions: The caramelized onions in this soup begin with sliced sweet onions. Choose an onion variety like Walla Walla, Vidalia or Maui.
- Bacon: When you cook bacon, it’s worth making a large batch to have some on hand for leftover bacon recipes. This soup is one of them, as we add cooked diced bacon to the pot.
- Potato gnocchi: Find ready-made potato gnocchi in the pasta aisle or freezer case. They cook up in just minutes in the broth.
- Shredded chicken: Using leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken saves lots of time when making this hearty soup.
- Kale: Chopped fresh kale packs a nutritional punch and also adds color to your million dollar soup. It simmers to a tender texture right in the soup.
- Fennel: Chopped raw fennel has an anise-like flavor that mellows beautifully when sauteed. This perennial vegetable is part of the flavorful mirepoix.
- Celery: This diced veggie is also part of the soup’s base. Use the rest of the ribs in celery recipes like celery gratin and cold salads.
- Garlic: Use a Microplane, sharp knife or hand-held press to quickly mince garlic; then saute it for just a minute or two to mellow the sharp flavor.
- Cheddar cheese: What’s a rich soup without some cheese? Our million dollar soup features shredded cheddar cheese for an extra-savory flavor, but only enough to let the rest of the soup’s flavors shine through.
- Chicken broth: A high-quality boxed chicken broth brand will make a difference in this soup recipe. Or, make homemade chicken broth and stash it in the freezer to have on hand for recipes like this one.
- Soy sauce: To give homemade soups a little boost of umami, editor Lesley Balla recommends a dash of soy sauce. Tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce are other umami-rich staples to keep in the pantry for soups.
- Cream: Use heavy or whipping cream to create a silky broth. Warm up the cream before slowly adding it to the soup so that it won’t curdle.
- White wine: The acidity of white wine helps balance the rich ingredients in this soup. Use it to deglaze the pan and release the fond to add extra flavor to the broth.
- Butter: Either salted or unsalted butter is fine for this recipe. It’s used to caramelize the onions, saute the vegetables and toast the bread crumbs.
- Olive oil: Because butter can easily scorch when used to saute, I use it in combination with olive oil. Both the oil and butter add flavor to the soup as well.
- Spices: This opulent soup has so many flavorful ingredients that I keep the spices simple: salt, pepper, a little dried thyme and a dash of cayenne pepper.
- Cornstarch: At the end of the cooking time, whisk a blend of cornstarch and cold water to act as a soup thickener and create a creamier texture.
- Bread crumbs: Make a simple, crunchy topping for the soup with panko bread crumbs. They have a coarse texture and toast quickly in the oven.
- Parmesan cheese: The final umami boost for this soup is Parmesan cheese baked into the panko bread crumbs.
With so many ingredients, this is an ideal recipe to practice mise en place, meaning everything in its place. Before starting the soup, have all the vegetables sliced or diced, the bacon chopped and the chicken shredded. Grate the cheddar cheese too. Have all the ingredients ready in bowls near the stove to add as the recipe directs.
Directions
Step 1: Caramelize the onions
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add the sliced onions. Saute the onions for four to five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and let the onions cook for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Then, remove the lid and let the onions cook for another 20 minutes or so until they’re very soft and browned. Transfer the onions to a small bowl and hold them aside.
Editor’s Tip: Once the lid is off the pot, keep the stirring to a bare minimum. The best browning will occur when the onions are disturbed as little as possible.
Step 2: Make the bread crumbs
While the onions are cooking, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking sheet with foil or parchment. Combine the panko bread crumbs, grated Parmesan and melted butter in a small bowl, stirring until the crumbs are moistened. Spread the bread crumbs over the baking sheet and place them in the oven. Bake the crumbs for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring once, until the crumbs are golden brown. Remove them from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet.
Step 3: Cook the aromatics
Add a tablespoon each of olive oil and butter to the pot, and heat them over medium heat. When the butter is melted, stir in the diced celery and fennel. Saute and stir the vegetables for seven to eight minutes, until they’re softened and beginning to brown. Add in the minced garlic and saute for an additional 30 to 60 seconds.
Step 4: Add more ingredients and simmer
Pour in the white wine. As it bubbles, stir the vegetables and scrape the browned bits from the bottom for one to two minutes until mostly dissolved.
Add the caramelized onions, chicken stock, chopped kale, 3/4 cup diced bacon, soy sauce, salt, thyme and pepper to the pot. Increase the heat to bring everything to a boil. Then, reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer the ingredients for 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 5: Add the meat and gnocchi
Remove the lid. Stir the shredded chicken and gnocchi into the soup and simmer, uncovered, for two to three minutes or until the gnocchi floats to the top.
Step 6: Add the cheese, cream and cornstarch
Add the shredded cheddar cheese, and stir the soup until the cheese is melted.
Spoon a little of the hot broth into the heavy cream in a bowl to temper it.
Then, slowly pour the cream into the soup, stirring constantly to blend it in. Stir in the cayenne pepper.
Whisk the cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl, then stir the mixture into the soup. Simmer the soup while stirring it for two to three minutes longer, until it thickens. Remove the pot from the heat.
Step 7: Garnish and serve
Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Top each bowl with some of the remaining diced bacon and the toasted Parmesan bread crumbs. Serve the soup while it’s hot.
Million Dollar Soup Variations
- Add butternut squash: There are two ways to add squash: Add 1-inch cubes of butternut squash at the same time as the stock and kale to cook them during simmering, or roast cubed butternut squash for more flavor and add it to the soup near the end of the cooking time to warm it through.
- Use other greens: Instead of kale, try fresh spinach or Swiss chard. These greens cook through more quickly, so add them when about five minutes of simmering time remains.
- Try it with sausage: In this soup, replace the diced bacon with cooked and crumbled sausage. Use mild bulk sausage, or for more kick, try a spicy variety like chorizo or hot Italian.
How to Store Million Dollar Soup
The recipe makes a big pot of million dollar soup—but that’s OK, because the leftovers are just as delicious. To store it, first let the soup cool to room temperature. Cover the pot or transfer the soup to resealable food storage containers. Keep the soup cold in the refrigerator.
How long does million dollar soup last?
When the soup is kept chilled and tightly covered in the fridge, it will last for two to three days.
Can you freeze this million dollar soup?
Yes, there is a way to freeze million dollar soup, but it requires one change. Because cream and cheese-based soups don’t freeze well, it’s best to freeze this soup without these ingredients. Make the recipe through adding the chicken and gnocchi (you’ll add the cream and cheese later).
Let the soup cool, transfer it to freezer-proof containers and freeze it for up to three months. When you reheat it, add the cream and cheese.
How do you reheat million dollar soup?
The easiest way to reheat million dollar soup is in the microwave, which is perfect for individual portions. Ladle some soup into a microwave-safe bowl and loosely cover it. Microwave it in 45-second bursts, stirring after each time until heated through. You can also reheat the soup over medium-low heat on the stovetop. If you are reheating million dollar soup that has been frozen, the stovetop is best so that you can blend in cream and cheese at the end.
Million Dollar Soup Tips
What’s the best way to cook chicken for this soup?
Using leftovers from a big roast chicken dinner or picking up an already-cooked rotisserie chicken are great timesaving options when making million dollar soup. However, you can also cook chicken specifically for this recipe. Our guide to how to cook chicken has lots of options. Try quick methods like air-frying or pressure-cooking; although baking, slow-cooking and grilling are good choices as well. Once cooked, the chicken should