How To Make Soup From Leftovers
- December 26, 2008
- 3,233 Views
Writer
Rosemarie_Lennon
Music
Jonathan Roberts
Voice Over Artist
Mario Bueno
Actor
jessicaminhas
Actor
ncalhoun
Turn mealtime odds and ends into a hearty—and tasty—soup.
You Will Need
- Leftovers
- A stock pot or large saucepot
- Stock, broth, or tomato juice
- Ice cubes or lettuce leaves
- Garnishes
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Onions
- Celery
- Carrots
- Meat bones
- Chicken carcass
- Fresh herbs
- Thickening agents
Step 1: Gather leftovers
Gather all mealtime odds and ends—cooked vegetables, bits of meat and poultry, beans, rice, sauces, and gravy—and put them in a large saucepot. Check your fridge for wilting vegetables that you might want to chop up and toss in.
For extra flavor, sauté leftover veggies in butter or olive oil before putting them in the soup pot.
Step 2: Add water or broth
Add enough liquid to cover the veggies—water; chicken, beef, or vegetable broth; tomato juice; or a combination thereof.
Instead of using canned broth, make your own stock by simmering chopped onions, celery, and carrots with a little water and some herbs for a few hours, and then straining out the solids. Include a meat bone or a chicken carcass if you like.
Step 3: Simmer
Simmer the soup for a few hours. If you have fresh herbs, add them about 15 minutes before you plan to serve the soup. Add any leftover noodles at the end so they don’t get too mushy.
To thicken the soup, add cream, pureed beans or cauliflower, finely grated potatoes or instant mashed potato flakes, or brown rice.
Step 4: Remove fat
Remove the fat—especially if you’ve used meat or chicken bones—by swirling either a few ice cubes or a couple of lettuce leaves on the surface of the soup for a minute or two, and then removing. The fat will cling to the ice or leaves.
Step 5: Gussy it up
Garnish each bowl of soup with crumbled bacon, chopped fresh herbs, grated cheese, a dollop of sour cream, a swirl of plain yogurt, a couple of croutons, some scallions, or crumbled crackers.
A study of soup eaters found that vegetable-soup lovers tend to be homebodies; chicken-noodle-soup fans are more likely to be churchgoers; minestrone eaters tend to be physically fit; and tomato-soup sippers are often the adventurous type.
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Comments (2)
Very good Howto I've been doin this for a while and the soups come out great, haven't tried the ice or lettuce to remove the fat. chilling the soup in the fridge does that very effectively and allows the soup to marinate with the other ingredients a while.
over 3 years ago by deckard1
This sounds great! I gotta try it out next time my fridge is getting questionable at the end of the week.
over 3 years ago by caffeinatedalex
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