But I couldn't bear to waste the pictures.
Wednesday afternoon I felt like crap. I needed to eat. Comfort food in particular. Luckily for me, there was one can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup left in the cabinet. I know a ton of people only use it for casseroles, but as soup alone, this has been my favorite, well, for as long as I can remember.
There are 4 things that are paramount for getting it just right:
1. You need to use whole milk.
1. You need to use whole milk.
2. You need to skimp on the milk.
3. You need a funky whisk.
4. You need Ritz crackers.
3. You need a funky whisk.
4. You need Ritz crackers.
1 & 2. Directions call for a full can of water or milk (I already mentioned, if you're gonna do it, do it right with whole milk), but make sure you do not top it off all the way. Less liquid equals creamier soup.
3. This whisk is old (see the grody wooden handle with slipping metal piece in bottom right picture?), but so very cherished. In the 20ish years I've been making condensed soup, I've never succeeded at truly incorporating the milk without it. The spring shape lets you press it down flat to the bottom and right to the edge of your pan so you can incorporate every little bit of yumness without lumps. These whisks work great for pan gravy, too. I'm serious, invest in one.
4. Crackers are essential. Saltines and oyster crackers are cool, but the combination of the butterysaltycrunchy Ritz is perfect with this soup. Expect to use half a sleeve (Yes, it's indulgent. I'm talking about comfort food here). I generally add two or three crumbled crackers at a time as I work my way down the mug.
In case anyone is curious, yes -- I can cook for real, too. Promise.
More on that another day.
More on that another day.
