This Is The Soup To Help Ease Into The 2028 Campaign…

Some soups warm you up. Others feel as though they were made specifically to welcome you into the next two years of strife on a variety of issues here at home as we approach the post-Trump populist change.

Splash’s Warm-Up Soup belongs firmly in the second category. Inspired by suggestions from Hey, Recipe, it brings together tender chicken, sweet carrots, earthy leeks, autumn greens and fluffy rice in a creamy, savory broth. A comforting blanket in a bowl, with considerably less laundry.

It is a hearty Fall dish, useful while we unscramble what the changes on the Hill will mean in January. And lest anyone mistake this for a cease-fire, the 2028 presidential cycle—the race to succeed Trump—has just begun. Four months of celebrations, and the marching band is already tuning up for the next parade. Splash turned down the television. There was soup to settle before dinner.

Sometimes supper needs to do a little more than simply fill up the Crowd.

Cheat’n It

Chicken already accounted for? No lounging staff in the Conference Room to send around the corner to Whole Foods for a rotisserie bird? Use leftover roasted chicken or turkey, or even shredded pork. It is a useful rehearsal for giving holiday leftovers a second life. And the refrigerator a little breathing room.

Greens nearing their deadline? Swap the collards for kale, Swiss chard or spinach. Sturdier greens need longer in the pot; tender spinach can go in near the end.

A little less rich? Replace half the heavy cream with evaporated milk. The broth stays creamy without quite so much richness.

Rice taking a different watch? Brown rice, wild rice or orzo can stand in for white rice. Cook it separately and add it at the end. If you expect leftovers, put the rice in individual bowls and ladle the soup over it; stored separately, it will not keep drinking the broth.

Leftover Double Duty

Soup can become fillings, fritters and tomorrows lunch. Double the batch if you want to arrange that outcome in advance.

Creamy chicken pot pie filling. Gently reduce leftover soup until thick. Spoon into oven-safe ramekins, cap with puff pastry and bake according to the pastry package directions until golden, with the filling hot throughout. Save this finish for the service kitchen or another equipped oven. In the Galley, serve the thickened filling over warm biscuits or toast.

Chicken and rice breakfast fritters. Mix thickened leftovers with an egg and enough breadcrumbs to hold together. Shape into small patties and shallow-pan-fry until crisp and cooked through, keeping the oil within the Galley’s ¼-inch limit.

Cozy pasta soup. Add separately cooked pasta to reheated soup and loosen it with a splash of broth or milk.

Creamy chicken bake. Combine leftovers with extra cooked rice, top with breadcrumbs and Parmesan, and bake in an equipped oven until bubbling and golden. For a Galley version, heat the mixture in a covered skillet and scatter separately toasted crumbs and Parmesan over the top.

Splash’s Warm-Up Soup

Approximately 8 servings in One la
rge Dutch oven batch- two ovens for the Crowd!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 4 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only, thoroughly washed

• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots

• ½ cup finely chopped celery

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour

• 8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

• 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, plus extra for garnish

• 4 cups chopped collard greens, tough stems removed

• 2 cups cooked white rice

• ½ cup heavy cream

• Kosher salt, to taste

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste

Season at the end. Rotisserie chicken and broth bring their own salt. Taste before adding more.

Watch-section change. For three or four, make half a batch or reserve some soup before adding rice. Double the full recipe for roughly sixteen servings, dividing it between two large pots.

Directions

1. Melt the butter in the large Lodge Dutch oven(s) over medium-low heat. Use two pots if doubling the batch.

2. Add the leeks, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5–8 minutes.

3. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute, until the raw flour smell disappears.

4. Gradually stir in the chicken broth, scraping the bottom and blending in the flour. Add the chicken and 1 tablespoon of thyme. Increase the heat and bring to a gentle boil.

5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the flavors come together and the broth thickens slightly.

6. Stir in the collards. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, allowing about 10–15 minutes and more time for mature leaves. If using spinach instead, add it near the end.

7. Turn the heat to low. Stir in the cooked rice, cream and black pepper. Heat gently until the soup is hot throughout; avoid a hard boil after adding the cream. Taste and add salt as needed.

8. Ladle into bowls and garnish with extra thyme. If reserving soup for another day, keep the rice separate and add it to the serving bowls.

Splash called it “Warm Up Soup” for what is coming. By the time the bowls reached the Conference Table, nobody seemed in much of a hurry to go anywhere.

Copyright 2026 Vic Socotra
www,vicsocotra,com