hodge-podge soup

Every couple of weeks, we all should take a look at our fridge, freezer, and pantry to identify items we need to use up. I've been guilty of throwing out fresh vegetables many times, because I never got around to cooking them. Unless you're composting these items, they become part of the big problem of food in our landfills. Let's change a habit and be a soup maker!
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Yesterday I found cabbage, zucchini, an onion, some baby carrots, limp celery, and half a jar of spaghetti sauce in my fridge. The freezer yielded some chopped spinach and part of a bag of peas & carrots. In the pantry, there was an expired can of chili, about a cup of rice left in the package, a little chicken soup base stuck to the bottom of the jar, and a can of diced tomatoes. (I always have diced tomatoes -- I use them in everything!) 

OK, let's get started! I chopped up about 1 cup each of carrots, celery, and onions. I generally aim for 1/2" pieces of everything, but the onions came out minced. I heated a little light olive oil (not the good stuff) in a 6-quart pot and tossed in the veggies (called mirepoix in classic French cooking, and the start of most soups, stews and stocks). ​

I sauteed for a good five minutes, until the veggies started to soften and release steam. Then I threw in about four cloves of garlic and a good sized dash of Italian herb seasoning. A lot of recipes call for salt and pepper at this point, but I wanted to wait to see what flavor my leftovers produced.

While the mirepoix was sweating, I quartered and sliced the zucchini, and cut the cabbage into 2" wedges and thinly sliced them. Those will go in later. I added the two canned items - chili and tomatoes - and the spaghetti sauce to the mirepoix. With 2 cups of water, I rinsed and scraped the chicken base jar, then added that and the remaining water to the pot. You could use any stock instead of water, but I didn't have any. ​

After another five minutes or so, I added the zucchini, then the cabbage. 

I let those soften for a couple of minutes, then added the frozen spinach and peas & carrots, and the rice. 

This is when I taste and season. All it needed was a little salt & pepper. I might have added some herbs from my garden, but only the rosemary is ready, so I didn't bother to go outside. I added another 2 cups of water so there was enough liquid for the rice to absorb, then turned the burner down to low and let everything simmer until the rice was cooked, about 20 minutes. 

This made about 4 1/2 quarts of thick stew-like soup. I transferred to 1-quart tubs and let cool. It's all in the fridge now. I can add water or stock to make it more soupy, or I can add any chopped cooked protein and serve it for dinner as a stew. I'm trying to eat more vegetables, so I'll have a mugful just as it is for lunch every day this week. I might have to label and freeze one or two quarts, but that's fine, I love heat-and-eat options. 

No preservatives, no extra money spent, minimal food waste (onion skins, zucchini ends), and a hearty, flavorful, and versatile meal option to get us through the week. Win-win-win!

Recipe: Hodge Podge Soup

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
2 Tbsp. light olive oil
1 Tbsp. minced garlic or garlic paste
2 Tbsp. dried Italian herb seasoning
1 14-oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 14-ounce can mild chili con carne with beans
1 cup marinara or spaghetti sauce
1 Tbsp. chicken soup base
2 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced
1/2 large green cabbage, cut in thin strips about 2" long
1 cup frozen chopped spinach
1 cup frozen peas & carrots
1 cup long-grain white rice

Over medium-high heat, toss the onion, celery, and carrots in the oil in a 6-quart soup pot. Sauté until mixture is steamy and vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, herbs, tomatoes, chili, spaghetti sauce, soup base, and about 2 cups of water. Bring mixture to a boil. Cook and stir another 5 minutes.  Stir in the zucchini and cabbage and allow to soften. Add the spinach, peas & carrots, rice, and another 2 cups of water or stock. Reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes more. Makes about 10 cups thick vegetable stew. Add stock or water to serve as soup, or add protein and serve as a casserole or one-bowl meal.