For those folks not from around these parts, entertainment icon Dolly Parton has a theme park and separate dinner theatre (among many other businesses) in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, near where she grew up. The dinner-and-show theatre, Dolly Parton’s Stampede* serves a popular cream of vegetable soup for which dozens of copycat recipes exist. Here is mine, which can easily be made vegan and gluten-free using alternate ingredients as listed.
- 2 tbsp butter (or oil)
- 2 tbsp flour (or cornstarch)
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 cup milk (or 1 can coconut milk)
- 32 oz chicken (or vegetable) broth
- 2 bags (10-14 oz) frozen vegetables (I prefer California blend)
- 1/2 cup instant potato flakes
- Seasoned salt to taste
- Shredded cheese and/or cream cheese (optional)
Melt butter and add onion and garlic, stir until softened. Stir in flour, then milk, then chicken broth; heat until steaming and add frozen veggies. Return to steaming (do not boil), then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until vegetables are soft. Mash vegetables with potato masher into smaller pieces, then stir in potato flakes. Top with shredded cheese, if desired. (For an extra-rich soup, add 1 brick of cream cheese after mashing vegetables and allow to melt.)
For slow cooker, add vegetables, broth, and seasonings to crock and heat 4-6 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. Mash vegetables as described above and stir in remaining ingredients. Serve when smooth and incorporated.
*[Dolly Parton’s Stampede was renamed from Dixie Stampede, because Dolly is woke.]
The Soup Diva 