Frugal Foodie: Kitchen-Sink Soup

Winter is the season of water, and attuned to its pooling, quiet qualities, I crave soup! Likely the easiest food to make out of almost any ingredients, often I find myself using leftovers to make a pot of soothing soup.

I start by figuring out which foods in my fridge need to be eaten – a few Tablespoons of pesto, a three stalks of kale, a container of leftover rice. Then I go to my cupboard and locate an onion, some garlic, and a few potatoes. Most likely I have a small bag of cooked-from-scratch beans in my freezer (see September’s Frugal Foodie post), which are easy to toss into the soup for protein. Back to my fridge, I round out the soup with whatever staple veggies I always have on hand – typically celery and carrots.

Last month I discussed how to make a veggie broth from veggie trimmings, so you’re all set with an affordable translucent liquid full of nutrients. The finishing touches are typically herbs and spices, which I alter depending on the culture of soup I make. For example, the pesto guides me toward Italian spices, such as rosemary and oregano.

Enjoy!

Learn more about Local Food Alliance: http://www.localfoodalliance.org/