When life hands you leftovers, make 'garbage soup'
Posted
Nov 05 2008, 10:52 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
It's a raw winter night, the economic sky appears to be falling, and you're fretting about the cost of the upcoming holiday season. A nice bowl of soup is the only possible response. It's warming, comforting and cheap -- especially if you make it the way a couple of Smart Spending message board readers do.
"Garbage soup" is a cherished family recipe from a reader posting as "Right2Space." She starts by tossing all leftover vegetables, rice, mashed potatoes or gravy into a bag in the freezer.
"When the bag is full," she says, "I make soup."
This technique is frugal because it uses up leftovers. It's also healthy because you can limit sodium and fat content.
And it keeps your taste buds guessing -- this potage de garbage never tastes the same way twice. How could it?
Garbage in, supper out
"Katmandu42," another reader posting on the same message board thread, calls her leftover collections "soup starter." She puts tag ends of vegetables, meat, rice or gravy into bowls in the freezer -- an even more frugal choice, since bowls can be washed and reused.
(Yes, the image of a frugalist is someone who washes and reuses Ziploc bags. But bags eventually wear out, whereas I'm still using a couple of Tupperware bowls that my mom bought probably 45 years ago.)
The soup is "never the same way twice, but always good," Katmandu42 notes.
How do these bits and pieces become a tasty supper? With stock and seasonings. Right2Space makes stock by simmering soup bones or a chicken with onion and garlic, then cutting the meat into small pieces. The broth gets refrigerated so that fat can be skimmed off the surface.
Is it soup yet?
Put the defatted stock and the bits of beef or chicken into a large pot, and add a can of tomatoes if you want. Season with whatever herbs or spices you prefer. Dump in the bag o' leftovers and cook until the mixture thaws and is thoroughly heated.
A few more tips:
• Since bag contents vary, you may need to add extra vegetables, Right2Space says.
• Freeze chicken and beef gravies in small, separate bags. Beef gravy would overwhelm a chicken-based soup.
• Want a heartier result? Cook some pasta separately and add it once the leftovers are heated.
• Want a really hearty soup? Make it with pasta as noted above, then add a can of drained and rinsed beans along with the leftovers. (If you're feeling uber-frugal, cook dried beans to add.)
There's no single, "right" way to make this dish. "The great thing about it is you can put into it whatever you like," Right2Space says.
'Fast food,' sans fries
This isn't a cooking blog, but frugal culinary hacks are increasingly important given how sharply food prices have risen this year. How many of us have thrown away the last couple spoonfuls of corn or a quarter-cup of gravy because there wasn't "enough" to save?
Stop doing that, and start your own bags for garbage soup. With some bread and butter, you've got yourself a meal -- and a quick one at that, if you keep frozen or canned stock on hand.
After all, the biggest leftover-and-soup-stock holiday of all, Thanksgiving, is coming up. Ever notice how much meat clings to a turkey carcass no matter how many casseroles and sandwiches you make?
And finally, a decent home for all those uneaten green beans.
