My Grandma’s Award-Winning Soup Recipe Warms My Heart Every Fall

As I thumb through the 3×5 index cards in my grandma’s recipe box, there are so many I treasure. However, one always stands out above the rest because it’s not only famous within our family, but it went on to become an award-winning dish enjoyed in countless other kitchens across the country. The story of this recipe goes all the way back to the legendary Pillsbury Bake-Off competition and their 35th contest in 1992.

Content Winners Run in the Family

My grandma always loved soups and would gladly enjoy a bowl for dinner any night of the week. So, it’s no surprise that when she wanted to try her hand at creating an original recipe for the Pillsbury Bake-Off, she found inspiration in developing a Midwest-style soup using their products. Something warm and comforting, but also practical and not overly fussy.

She was thrilled when she received the call that her dish had been selected as one of the lucky 100 finalists invited to compete in person at the historic culinary event. We were all beyond ecstatic when I also received the call that my recipe for Raspberry-Filled Apricot Cake was also chosen to participate in the contest! In a mind-blowing turn of events, at the age of 12, I was slated to compete against my own grandmother in hopes of making it to the winner’s circle.

The televised cooking event from Orlando, Florida was one of the most exciting times we shared together. Ultimately, my grandma won her category for this creamy broccoli and wild rice soup and took home a $10,000 prize. I just about leapt out of my seat when her name was called on air. Luckily, I had the chance to actually do so and head to the stage myself when I found out my own recipe was a runner-up in the dessert category.

Since our recipes were published in Pillsbury cookbooks and have lived on their website since the 90s, it’s hard to say how many people have tried my grandma’s award-winning soup. It always brings a smile to my face knowing that her cooking skills live on not only within the memories of our home, but hopefully in other family recipe boxes as well. 

My Own Version of Grandma’s Recipe

Since this recipe was originally developed for the Pillsbury Bake-Off back in 1992, the sponsor products used back then aren’t necessarily available in today’s markets. I have tweaked the recipe a bit over the years to be able to consistently recreate the dish based on what I can find on store shelves: 

• A 10-ounce bag of frozen broccoli in cheese sauce works well here and is quite common to find at the grocery store. Just pop it in the microwave, and it cooks quickly to add to the soup. 
• There used to be a frozen white and wild rice product called for in my grandma’s creative recipe that I can no longer find. However, a 6-ounce box of long-grain and wild rice works just as well. I have used Ben’s Original, Near East, and generic store brands, and they all maintain the integrity of the original dish. Prepare the rice blend according to the package directions (including the seasoning packet), and you are good to go. 
• For the creamy aspect of this soup, my grandma always used half and half, and I am a firm believer it is the best option. You could use whole milk, but I don’t find the flavor to be as rich and comforting.
• If you want to get fancy, try sprinkling each serving with a little bit of paprika just before diving in. It’s a little something extra that adds color and flavor to every bowl. I started using smoked paprika, and it is my small contribution to updating Grandma’s recipe all these years later.