Soup's On! ~ Making tasty soups out of odds & ends

Bachelor Soup ~ leaning toward Italian Minestrone

It is back to being cold & snowy today.  Ugh.  I really thought we were done with the winter weather ~ no such luck.  Soup sounds like a good choice for dinner tonight & since I'm getting out the soup pot,  I thought I would share some pictures of soups that I have made this season & give you a little back story as to how they come into being...

Bachelor Soup is something my hubby has been making for years ~ long before he met me.  He would clean out his fridge on his days off & make a big pot of soup.  When he was getting low on soup he would add a can of Chunky Soup to stretch it out.  I actually found a post on Bachelor Soup on the net.  I guess great guy minds think alike.   :)   So, whenever the husband makes a pot of soup it is called... Bachelor Soup.

'Odds & Ends' Turkey Soup

I have a few names for the soups I make without a recipe ~  'Odds & Ends' Soup,  'Clean Out the Fridge' Soup,   'It's Trash Day' Soup  or  'Veggies Need Using Up' Soup.  Whatever name those soups go by, they always turn out pretty tasty.  When you cook like that, you are creating a 'One Of' kind of soup.  The only problem is if it turns out really good, then the chances of making it the exact same way again are pretty slim.  That's OK, I'll risk it  :)

The recipe for this kind of soup is culinary improv at it's finest.  If you want your soup to have a Mexican flair ~ just use your favorite Mexican spices, like cumin/chili powder/taco seasoning/cilantro & rice or pinto/black beans & maybe some tortilla chips for a topping.  If you want more of an Italian flavor ~ use your favorite Italian herbs like basil/oregano/marjoram & add some pasta, kidney/cannellini beans or tomatoes. 

However you make it ~ be it an all veggie soup or an 'one of a kind' mix of ingredients ~ using what you have available in the fridge is such a perfect way to stretch-a-buck & feed your family something healthier than takeout.  I like to serve the soup with bread, corn muffins or crackers.  Dress it up any way you want ~ make it your own & enjoy your soup masterpiece.  It might become a weekly event, just like it is in our house.  Anyone want a bowl of soup?  Bon Appétit

Tonight I am calling it... 

Odds & Ends Soup

8 cups        favorite broth
1/2 cup        onion, chopped
1                 bay leaf
1  clove      garlic, minced 
2 tsp           mix of favorite herbs/spices, salt-free
                   herb mix (or to taste)

~                  salt & pepper, to taste


~   as much stuff in the fridge as you need to use up
          -  leftover cooked veggies, cut up small
          -  leftover cooked meat, cut up small
          -  leftover noodles
          -  leftover rice
          -  uncooked veggies that need to be used
              up, cut up into small pieces


~   optional add-ins, mix & match to your heart's
     content
           -  can of  fire roasted tomatoes
           -  can of beans - like kidney, navy, pinto,
               black or cannellini beans, with juice
           -  chopped cabbage, 3 cups
           -  can of cream of mushroom soup,
              condensed

1)     put first 5 ingredients in a large soup pot and any
        uncooked veggies you are using & simmer for 10 minutes
 
2)     add in as many cut up leftovers & optional add-ins as you wish

3)     simmer all for 20 minutes  

4)     add salt & pepper to taste ~ enjoy with corn muffins, bread or crackers

'Veggies Need Using Up' Soup

'It's Trash Day' Soup