What is Reddit’s viral “The Soup” recipe?

Filip Krawanski
The Soup

“The Soup” is a recipe that proved to be a smash hit on the “Slow Cooking” subreddit. It’s a dish reportedly so tasty that the hype around it has made it a viral sensation on social media.

Slow cooking is a method of cooking that utilizes the slow cooker. An appliance that cooks your dishes at temperatures much lower than traditional boiling, frying or baking. Its name is derived from the fact that some dishes take upwards of 8-12 hours to cook properly.

One recipe from the Slow Cooking subreddit has become so popular that it’s simply now referred to as “The Soup”. That is the soup to end all soups according to some of its fans.

The Soup receives endless praise from people who tried it, and endless spins on how to make it appeal to other appetites, such as the vegan and gluten-free version of The Soup.

The recipe itself was actually sourced from “365DaysofCrockPot.com”, and the recipe was originally called “Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini, Spinach And Chicken Soup” before it became “The Soup” on r/slowcooking.

Here’s the full recipe as originally penned:

  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 Tbsp dried basil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 (14.5 oz) cans (or fresh) diced tomatoes
  • 1 – 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 4 cups frozen (or fresh) cheese tortellini
  • 3 cups packed spinach (adjust to your tastes)
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup heavy cream or 1 cup half and half

And here are the steps one should follow to cook Reddit’s viral “The Soup”:

  1. The first step is to microwave the onion, flour, basil, garlic, tomato paste, and olive oil. 5 minutes, with occasional Stir in between. Some users of Reddit advocate frying this mixture in a pan instead of microwaving it.
  2. Add the mixture to the slow cooker. Proceed to also add the broth, diced tomatoes, chicken, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker. Give it a good stir afterward.
  3. Cover and cook using the slow cooker on low setting for 4-6 hours or on high setting for 3-4 hours . Again, some Redditors go as far as cooking it for 8 hours on the low setting, so it’s best to pick the pace that sounds just right for you.
  4. After it’s cooked remove the chicken from the cooker, cut it up into squares and add it back in. Throw in tortellini, spinach, parmesan cheese, and cream. Stir vigorously before putting the cooker back on the high setting for another 10 minutes. Make sure the tortellini is cooked, give it another 5 minutes if it’s not. Now it should be ready to be served. Enjoy your meal!

Not to be outdone by other social media, TikTok has plenty of its own original recipes you can check out like the 15-hour potato recipe, or the Raw Carrot Salad recipe.

About The Author

Filip is a Belgium-based journalist who was formerly on Dexerto's UK team. He spends his free time clearing out his endless gaming backlog or burning something in the kitchen. You can contact Filip at filip.krawanski@dexerto.com