A few days ago I came to the lovely home I’m housesitting
at with a cooler full of food, and a few pantry items, that I didn’t want to go
to waste back at home. I arrived to a refrigerator full of most of the same food
in my cooler (and a note that I was welcome to it) that I also didn’t want to
go to waste here. So I immediately set out to make a pot, a large pot, of soup.
I was so pleased with the outcome that I felt moved to share. Use it only as a
guide or for inspiration. The main idea is to create your own Soup of Bounty based on what you have
that needs to be used before going bad and what you have on hand to add to it
to make a complete, nutritious, and delicious meal! (Some disturbing food waste facts can be found online, and here's one place to start.)
This recipe makes a very large pot of soup. I froze some
for the people I’m housesitting for, I had it for dinner, lunch, and then
dinner again, and there are still several more servings left. Pairs well with a
garden salad, fresh baguette, and a bottle of wine! Enjoy!
Onion—1 or 2
large, chopped
Garlic—several
cloves or more, minced
Cabbage—two heads,
chopped. I used both purple and Napa.
Celery—half a
bunch or more, sliced
Carrots—3 or
more large, sliced
Tomatoes—two
or more large, diced. I used only one large and a handful of cherry and then
added in ketchup for more tomato flavor.
Adzuki Beans—mine
were cooked leftovers. If raw, pre-soak overnight or do the quick boil/soak
method before adding to soup. These wonderful small beans are higher in
nutrition, including protein and fiber as many of the other beans we use more
traditionally. Look ‘em up!
Sprouted Lentils—I
used TruRoots sprouted green lentils.
(Regular lentils would work fine.)
Red Quinoa—I used
Alter Eco organic royal red quinoa. Quinoa
is also high in nutrition, & cooks quickly.
Potato—one to
two large, peeled (if Russet) and diced
Bouillon—I used
Better Than Bouillon organic
vegetable base. Very flavorful and zero fat. I also highly recommend Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon. These two
bases are all I use for soups and broths. Much less waste than cans and aseptic
packaging.
Balsamic—splash
(I used a splash of the lovely fig balsamic on hand here)
Seasonings—Aside
from the garlic, and fresh ground pepper, I used Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning that was in the spice cupboard here.
It’s a dandy! I then topped it all off with some fresh chopped parsley.
Directions:
You can sauté the onions and garlic in a little olive oil, and then add the
celery and carrots. Once that has all softened a bit you can add water and your
bouillon and then add the rest of the items. (I didn’t add my adzuki beans till
the end, as they were already cooked enough, or the quinoa as it doesn’t
require much time and I wanted it to retain its somewhat meaty texture.) And then
let everything simmer on the stove until it is the consistency you like, adding
more water as necessary. I like to simmer it until I can’t spot the cabbage
anymore. Not because I don’t like cabbage, but I really like the consistency
the soup comes to when you boil it down. Then, if you like, you can puree a
couple cups and then add back to the soup. Top with some grated romano or
parmesan and top with fresh parsley!
Nearly fat free alternative: The only fat in the above
recipe is in the olive oil and scant amounts in the beans and grain. But you
can make this a nearly fat free soup by skipping the oil and sautéing and just
adding the water and bouillon first and then everything else and bringing to simmer
and letting it all cook down for an hour or two. I’ve done it with a similar
soup with gratifying results!
Next up I need to figure out what to do with all the plums!
Next up I need to figure out what to do with all the plums!
