We have had so many cold days in Kentucky this “spring”. It was still in the 40s in the mornings up until just a couple of days ago. So while generally we’re not thinking about warm soups this time of year, I was still looking for food to warm me up. Do you ever have vegetables left over from dinner? Maybe a little, sometimes a lot? Sometimes there’s not enough to use in another meal but you don’t want to throw them away. Sometimes there’s a lot left over but the idea of eating them again tomorrow isn’t appealing either. Here’s a solution for your leftover veggies – make a soup.
Designate a container in your fridge for short term storage or better yet, in the freezer for long term storage of cooked veggies to be used later. Continue to add to your freezer container until you are ready for a hearty soup. Make a soup base with vegetable broth, stewed or diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce, add your mixed vegetables, spices, pasta and beans and you have a quick meal. Recently, my husband made a large pot of spinach, kale and mushrooms. We ate as much as we wanted of it and then I decided to use the rest for a pot of soup. The complete recipe is below.
- left over vegetables (I used 1 pound of spinach and kale and 6 oz of slice mushrooms with minced garlic)
- 1 15 oz can stewed tomatoes
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1 quart vegetable broth
- 6 oz cooked whole wheat penne pasta
- 1 15 oz can kidney beans
- 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- Cook your pasta.
- Place all the ingredients in the pot and heat thoroughly.
- If your mixed vegetables are frozen you will need to heat a little longer or defrost them in the microwave first.
- Enjoy!
