Soup 101

 Soup 101

Fall has finally arrived in my neck of the woods.  With the cooler weather coming in a nice hot bowl of soup makes for a great meal!   As a bonus, it is also very frugal and helps to reduce food waste.    Each week starting in the fall, I cook up a huge pot of soup to have for dinner one night and lunches for the next several days.       

** All soup recipes are linked to the pictures. 

How can this humble meal save you money? 

Prior to menu planning for the week, I take a look in my refrigerator to see which items need to be used up and would be good in a soup.   Then I make a soup that incorporates the majority of the items.   Finally, I add a little bit of ingredients from the freezer or pantry and the soup is ready.   Since I had already purchased the majority of the ingredients needed for the soup, I was able to feed my family for no added cost.    

Taco Soup

I can usually cobble together enough ingredients to make taco soup.    This is a family favorite and so easy to make with a crock pot.    There are only a few fresh ingredients and you can use leftover ground beef, turkey or shredded chicken can be used as the protein.   If you do not have any of these proteins left over, then add some lentils from the pantry.    The other ingredients I look for in my refrigerator are peppers, onions, cheese, and corn.   The rest of the ingredients are pantry items that I normally have on hand.     

Potato or Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Potato soup is another staple recipe that I count on.    If I have leftover potatoes or broccoli, it is time to look towards either potato soup or broccoli cheese soup.   I add a little onion, celery, and stock to the pot and start the process of creating soup.     We always have a little cheddar in the freezer and that makes a great topping to the soup.   If you have bacon and/or green onions, then they would be great too.   

Minestrone Soup

Minestrone soup is another classic soup that uses up a lot of vegetables from the refrigerator.   When I have a variety of different vegetables left over such as zucchini,  green beans, broccoli, potatoes, etc., I create a pot of minestrone soup.    With a little stock and spices from the pantry and possibly some pasta, the soup is on the table in no time.  

What is your favorite soup to make on a cool fall night?