Table Talk Tuesday, January 27
- Media Logic Radio
- Jan 27
- 4 min read
Million Dollar Soup
Recipes | Jan 21, 2026
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups diced Yukon Gold potatoes
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can Cheddar cheese soup
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
4 cups chopped rotisserie chicken, or more to taste
5 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded creamy mozzarella cheese
Garnish
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
cooked and crumbled bacon
scallions, sliced
buttery round crackers, such as Ritz®, crushed
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and celery and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add potatoes, cream of chicken, Cheddar cheese soup, and broth to the pot and season with Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add chicken and bacon to the soup.
Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes more. Stir in sour cream and creamy mozzarella; remove from heat.
Serve garnished with shredded Cheddar, bacon, scallions, and crushed Ritz crackers.
West African Peanut Soup
Recipes | Jan 21, 2026
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 large red bell peppers, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups vegetable broth or stock
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, with liquid
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon chili powder (Optional)
⅔ cup extra crunchy peanut butter
½ cup uncooked brown rice
Gather the ingredients.
Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and bell peppers; cook and stir until tender. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in vegetable stock, tomatoes, pepper, and chili powder. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Stir in rice; cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in peanut butter until well blended; serve.
Hot and Sour Soup
Recipes | Jan 21, 2026
¾ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
2 tablespoons soy sauce, or more to taste
¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon ground white pepper, or to taste
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons cornstarch, or as needed
3 tablespoons water, or as needed
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
¼ cup sliced green onions
4 cups chicken broth
¼ cup grated carrot
2 tablespoons thinly sliced red bell pepper
½ cup bamboo shoots
1 cup cubed tofu
2 large eggs, beaten
Gather the ingredients.
Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water, stirring occasionally, until soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well and slice into thin strips.
Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, ground white pepper, and sesame oil together in a small bowl for hot and sour mixture; set aside until needed.
Whisk cornstarch and water together in another small bowl for slurry; set aside until needed.
Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ginger, sliced green onions, and shiitake mushrooms. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and bring up to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir in carrot, red pepper, bamboo shoots, tofu, and the hot and sour mixture. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
Raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Stir the soup slowly with a spoon while transferring in the beaten eggs in a steady stream to create thin ribbons. Keep stirring until the soup comes back to a boil. Reduce heat to medium.
Stir the cornstarch slurry to make sure it’s well blended, then slowly drizzle it into the soup while stirring constantly. Soup should thicken up within 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat, taste for seasoning, and serve.
"Soup is a lot like a family. Each ingredient enhances the others; each batch has its own characteristics; and it needs time to simmer to reach full flavor." - Marge Kennedy
"No Soup For You!" - Larry Thomas as Soup Nazi in Seinfeld
"Stu ... That's more of a thick soup than a name, really." - Robin Williams as Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire in Mrs. Doubtfire
"I'm hoping Campbell's comes out with, like, an IV line of soup, so you could just jam right into your arm, you know? Campbell's tomato intravenous. Mainline gumbo." - Jerry Seinfeld as Jerry Seinfeld in Seinfeld
Pozole Rojo (Mexican Pork and Hominy Stew)
Recipes | Jan 21, 2026
1 pound boneless pork shoulder, cubed
1 pound boneless pork loin, cubed
½ pound pork neck bones
water to cover
1 head garlic, cloves peeled
salt to taste
1 large plum tomato
4 ounces dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 clove garlic
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1 pinch ground cumin
2 cups water
2 (16 ounce) cans white hominy, drained
Toppings:
shredded lettuce or cabbage
1 small onion, diced
4 limes, quartered
Place pork shoulder, pork loin, and pork neck bones in a large pot; cover with water. Add 1 head of garlic and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until meat is tender and cooked through, about 1 hour. Stir in hominy; bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, place tomato and guajillo chiles in a pot and add enough water to cover; bring to a boil. Cook until chiles have softened, about 15 minutes; drain.
Place tomato and chiles with salt, 1 clove garlic, oregano, and cumin in a blender; add 2 cups water. Blend until smooth. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and set chile sauce aside.
Transfer pork to a work surface and shred with 2 forks. Discard pork bones and garlic.
Stir chile sauce and shredded pork into the pot. Simmer pozole until flavors have blended, about 5 minutes.
Ladle pozole into serving bowls and top with shredded cabbage and onion; serve lime wedge on the side.
RECIPES COURTESY OF the FENCE POST, JANUARY 21, 2026
