Mix-and-Match Soup
by Deborah Taylor-Hough
Many people I've talked with lately have expressed concern about the future of our food supplies and how to effectively make use of their food storage.
The following recipe is not only easy and delicious, it's also a simple way to use canned, dried, and other easily stored food items. (Excerpted and adapted with permission from 'Mix-and-Match Recipes: Creative Ideas for Busy Kitchens' by Deborah Taylor-Hough.)
Mix-and-Match Soup
(8 generous servings)
BROTH (choose one)
- Tomato: One 12-oz. can tomato paste PLUS two 16-oz. cans tomatoes with juice (chopped) PLUS water to equal 10 cups total
- Chicken/Turkey: 10 cups broth OR 4 bouillon cubes dissolved in 10 cups water
- Beef: 10 cups broth OR 4 bouillon cubes dissolved in 10 cups water
PROTEIN (choose one -- 1 pound or 2 cups, cooked)
- Ground beef, browned
- Leftover meatballs or meatloaf, chopped
- Cooked chicken or turkey (cut up)
- Ham (cut up)
- Lentils
- Frankfurters, sliced (or any sausage or Kielbasa)
- Pepperoni, sliced
- Beans, cooked or canned (pintos, kidney, Great Northern, or a mixture of whatever you have on hand)
GRAIN (choose 1 or 2 -- total of 2 cups)
- Rice, cooked (any variety)
- Barley, cooked
- Pasta, raw
- Corn
- Dumplings (add near end of cooking time)
VEGETABLES (raw, cooked or canned, choose 2 or more -- total of 1 - 2 cups)
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onion
- Potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Green beans
- Turnips
- Parsnips
- Broccoli
- Peas or pea pods
- Cauliflower
- Bell pepper
- Zucchini (add raw)
SEASONINGS (choose 2 - 4 spices, 1 - 2 teaspoons each)
- Basil
- Cayenne (dash)
- Chives
- Cumin
- Garlic
- Marjoram
- Onion powder
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Parsley
- Oregano
TO PREPARE SOUP:
Bring broth to a boil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add all ingredients; salt and pepper to taste; reduce heat; simmer one hour.
SLOW COOKER PREP:
Pour boiling stock and other ingredients into slow cooker and simmer 8 - 12 hours or overnight on LOW setting.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Deborah Taylor-Hough (wife and mother of three) is the author of the bestselling, 'Frozen Assets: How to cook
for a day and eat for a month,' and the new book, 'Frugal Living For Dummies(r)' (Wiley, 2003).
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