Clean out the Crisper Vegetable Soup

Last week I used this as the basis of a pierogy soup:  a turnip and cabbage stew spiced with the "Krakow Nights" seasoning blend from Penzeys and a few fried pierogies floating in it.  It was a delicious soup, but the pierogies got too mushy for my taste.  I would have preferred them on the side.   My point, however, is that you can create all kinds of good soups from the odds and ends of vegetables left in the bottom of your fridge drawer.  It can help you reduce waste and use up what you have.  These guidelines can help get you started.  Give it a try and make a mental note of what works for you and what doesn't.   I think I got the original version of this from Leanne Ely via the Flylady website.

Clean out the Crisper Vegetable Soup

Chop what you have and set it aside:
(some good ones are carrots, celery, cabbage, zucchini, turnips, green beans, etc.)
1 small onion
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot, saute the onion until almost clear.  Add the rest of the vegetables and cook about 2 minutes. Add some good chicken or vegetable broth and the seasoning.  If you're adding tender greens like spinach, stir them in at the end of the cooking time so they stay bright green. Sometimes I like to add something a little more substantial like some canned beans (white or kidney or garbanzo) or some pasta (tiny or chunky or tortellini are good).   The beans just need to warm up and can be added at the end, but the pasta should be added just after the broth comes to a simmer so it has time to cook.  Let simmer until the vegetables are tender and serve with plenty of bread and butter.  

Broccoli and cauliflower are also good in soup, but if you're going to add them, skip the tomato and add some potatoes and cheese - this can be pureed.

Yummy, cheesy potato soup that's heavier on the veggies and lighter on the cheese than most potato cheese soups, but you wouldn't guess it.  The buttermilk accentuates the cheddar, and using sharp cheese make less cheese go further.  In the winter, I sometimes substitute winter squash like butternut for the yellow summer squash, and it's good, too.

Golden Cheddar Cheese Soup 

from Moosewood Cooks At Home

Minutes to Cook: 35

Number of Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 cup chopped onions
2 TBSP Vegetable oil
2 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow summer squash, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp ground black pepper (or to taste)
2 cups of vegetable stock or chicken broth (water's o.k. too)
1 cup buttermilk or milk
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
salt to taste

minced fresh scallions, chives, or parsley to garnish (optional)

Directions

Serves 4-6

Saute the onions in the oil for about 5 minutes or until they begin to soften. Stir in the potatoes, carrots, squash, black pepper, and turmeric. Add the stock or water and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the buttermilk or milk and the cheese. puree the soup in a blender or food processor or with a stick blender. Gently reheat. Add salt to taste, and serve topped with minced scallions, chives, or parsley.

Turkey Harvest Soup

I stumbled across this recipe in my files last week and wondered why I never think to make it.   It is kind of like a minestrone, but made with ground turkey.  It makes a delicious winter meal with breadsticks or some crusty bread.  Margie made it once when we got together for lunch, and it was so satisfying I had to get the recipe from her.

Turkey Harvest Soup

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. Italian herb seasoning (I just threw in some marjoram, basil, and thyme)
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
3 large carrots, peeled and diced small
1 large potato, peeled and diced
6 cups beef broth
2 cups V8 or tomato juice
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup pastina or acini di pepe pasta
1 tsp. liquid hot pepper or a few dashes of crushed red pepper flakes (opt.)
2 medium zucchini, diced (about 2 cups)

Brown turkey and onion in a little olive oil.  Stir in oregano and herb seasoning.  Stir in tomatoes, carrots, potato, broth, V* and Worcestershire.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add the pasta, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove lid and add zucchini and hot pepper to taste.  Boil uncovered 8-10 minutes until zucchini is cooked.  Taste to adjust seasonings and serve.

Kale and Sweet Potato Soup

I'm surprised that I haven't posted this recipe before now.  Amy gave it to me a few years ago (I think the original source was Food and Wine), and we have loved it ever since.  It is delicious, healthy, and easy.  It's a perfect soup to make in January because, well, it can help you get over the over-indulgences of December.  It's a good New Year's Resolution soup, because although it's over-the-top healthy, it can also be a comfort food.  Besides, it uses winter vegetables but still has bright colors so there's some color in your life even when it's snowy and grey outside.

Speaking of which, the longer this cold goes on, the more grateful I am that we have a small house and can afford to keep the heat turned up.  I'm ready for spring!

Kale and Sweet Potato Soup

 serves 6-8

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, chopped fine

3/4 tsp. turmeric

1/4 tsp. crushed red peppers

3/4 lb. kale, tough stems removed and roughly chopped

1 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 3/4 inch cubes

1 1/2 quart chicken or vegetable broth

1 tsp. salt

fresh ground pepper to taste

1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk

about 2 cups cooked brown rice (I like the texture of Lundberg Farms medium grain rice - it has a good chew)

Start cooking the rice if you don't have any leftovers on hand.  It will take longer than the rest of the soup to cook.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook down until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric and crushed red pepper flakes.  Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute.

Add the sweet potato chunks and stir.  Add the chicken or vegetable broth and coconut milk and bring to a simmer.  Add the kale once the broth is simmering and submerge all the leaves, helping them to cook down, and stirring occasionally.  Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over a bed of brown rice.

note: when I made this last night, I cooked extra brown rice and used some of it to make a kind of Thai sticky rice with the extra coconut milk from the can.  I added the rest of the can of coconut milk, about 2 cups of brown rice, about 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 c. sugar.  I wish I had measured so I could tell you exactly how much.  But you just stir it together, give it a taste to see if it needs more of anything, and it makes a lovely dessert, especially topped with fresh mango!  In fact, I even think I might like the texture better than traditional Thai coconut sticky rice.

Miso Soup

I originally found this recipe on steamykitchen.com and have really liked it.  It is super fast and easy, using an instant dashi instead of requiring that you make the dashi stock yourself from boiling seaweed and bonito flakes.  I've adapted the recipe by adding an extra cup of water, because I thought it was too strong and salty without.    This also makes it serve an extra person.  Taste your finished broth to see if it needs more water than that (it might, if it has simmered a while). I've used several different kinds of dried seaweed for garnish, and they've all been fine.  I made this for our New Year's Eve Sushi Party.  It's great to have such an easy side dish for something more difficult like sushi.  Just pop some edamame in the microwave for another easy side, and you've got yourself a feast.

Miso Soup Recipe

Ready in 10 minutes! Remember, you don’t want to boil the miso paste — add it at the end with the heat off to avoid a gritty texture.

serves 5
5 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons instant dashi granules
1/2 cup miso paste
1 tablespoon dried seaweed (for miso soup), soaked in water
1/2 cup cubed tofu
2 tablespoons chopped green onion

1. Pour the water into a pot and bring to a boil. Add the instant dashi and whisk to dissolve. Turn the heat to medium-low and add the tofu. Drain the seaweed and add the seaweed to the pot. Simmer for 2 minutes.

2. In the meatime, Spoon the miso paste into a bowl. Ladle about 1/2 cup of the hot dashi broth into a bowl and whisk with chopsticks or a whisk to mix and melt the miso paste so that it becomes a smooth mixture.

3. Turn the heat off, add the miso paste to the pot and stir well. Top with green onions and serve immediately.