I do my marketing on Friday’s. Sunday’s I load up on fruits and veggies at a local farmers market. By the time Saturday roles around, whatever is left in my vegetable bin isn’t so pretty. Inevitably, these items end up in a soup or a salsa or something random.
Cleaning out the vegetable bin (to make room for the newest and the freshest) left me with a few string beans, broccoli, left over roasted cauliflower, sauteed leeks (I keep sauteed leeks on hand to put in weekday morning eggs), about 1/2 cup of cooked lentils (leftovers from a previous meal), a carrot, a few stocks of celery, and a minced shallot.
A pot of soup was whipped up in less than 45 minutes and it was the perfect Saturday afternoon lunch. It is always so gratifying when I can create a healthy, whole meal without a plan or a recipe.
Soup, unlike baking, does not have to be exact. It’s not a science. Check your provisions, be creative, chop away, and make a double batch!
Use It Up Vegetable Soup
Ingredients:
1/2 cup leeks, shallots, or onions – diced fine
1/2 cup carrots, peeled and diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
2 gloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh stringbeans, cleaned and diced
1/2 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup cauliflower, chopped
1 zucchini, diced
1 yellow potato, diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 – 1/2 cup lentils, cooked
1 can (15 ounces) white beans, rinsed and drained
6-8 cups homemade vegetable stock
2 tablespoons coconut oil
Celtic sea salt
fresh ground pepper
dash of red wine vinegar
Instructions:
In a large, heavy duty stock pot, heat coconut oil. Add leeks, shallots, or onions. sauté on medium until soft, about 10 minutes.
Add garlic and sauté for 1 minutes. Toss in carrots, celery, string beans, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and potato. Stir to coat and saute for 5 minutes.
Add vegetable stock and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
Add lentils or white beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Right before serving add a splash of red wine vinegar.
Optional add ins: sauteed sausage (out of casing), chopped kale, chard, or spinach, and chopped basil.
Susan Salzman writes The Urban Baker blog to explore her dedication to good food in the hope of adding beauty to the lives of her family and friends.