If you're like me, you buy fresh vegetables that you don't get around to cooking. Our good intentions, to eat healthy food, do get side-tracked. At one time or another, all of us have thrown away fresh vegetables that have gone bad.
French cooks have a use for vegetables hanging around the refrigerator. Those limp zucchinis and wilting greens may not be pretty, but they are still edible. Of course, you must throw out vegetable that are moldy or rotting. But, before they get to the un-usable stage, they look unappetizing, These are the vegetables that a French cook will use to make soup. Even lettuce goes into the soup. I've tried it. It's tasty.
Vegetable Soup is a simple, tasty way to get your veggies and sooth your conscience about wasting vegetables. Here's how to do it.
First, make the stock:
Add to a large pot:
1 carton chicken stock or broth, optional
1 can diced tomatoes, optional
Water to fill pot half full
2 carrots, scraped and cut into bite-sized chunks
3 ribs of celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
Any fresh herbs hanging around your refrigerator, chopped
Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to keep the water simmering until carrots are brightly colored and give slightly to pressure from a fork. Add water to keep vegetables covered. Timing depends on size of pot, size of carrots and your stove's ability to simmer.
Taste the broth and adjust salt as needed. You adjust salt by adding more water if its too salty or adding a little more salt if its too dull.
While the stock is cooking, peel and cut up vegetables, any vegetables you have or like. When the carrots are ready, add your vegetables in the order of their need for cooking time.
Start by adding the hard, root vegetables or winter squash that need time to cook. Let the stock come back to a simmer and cook them for a few minutes, until almost tender. After the hard vegetables cook, add vegetables like green beans, bell peppers, cabbage, broccoli, that need less cooking. Let them simmer awhile until they are bright colored and tender.
Last to go into the pot, the delicate vegetables that cook very quickly. Mushrooms, chopped greens, chopped lettuce, scallions, summer squash, tomatoes are examples of quick cooking vegetables. Toss them into the simmering pot. Stir and give them a few minutes to cook.
If you have leftover vegetables in the refrigerator, add them to your soup with the delicate veggies. They will heat while the the others are cooking.
This is also a good time to add seasonings. Dried thyme, basil, oregano or your favorite seasoning mix will taste great. A Cajun spice mix, Italian or French herb mixtures will be good, too. I like spicy food, so I add a few dashes of cayenne pepper.
When the vegetables are cooked to your liking, taste for seasoning. Adjust salt, pepper and spices to your taste.
Serve your soup hot. You can add a protein exchange by topping the soup with an ounce of grated cheese or a quarter cup of cottage cheese sprinkled with a little Parmesan.
French cooks have a use for vegetables hanging around the refrigerator. Those limp zucchinis and wilting greens may not be pretty, but they are still edible. Of course, you must throw out vegetable that are moldy or rotting. But, before they get to the un-usable stage, they look unappetizing, These are the vegetables that a French cook will use to make soup. Even lettuce goes into the soup. I've tried it. It's tasty.
Vegetable Soup is a simple, tasty way to get your veggies and sooth your conscience about wasting vegetables. Here's how to do it.
First, make the stock:
Add to a large pot:
1 carton chicken stock or broth, optional
1 can diced tomatoes, optional
Water to fill pot half full
2 carrots, scraped and cut into bite-sized chunks
3 ribs of celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
Any fresh herbs hanging around your refrigerator, chopped
Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to keep the water simmering until carrots are brightly colored and give slightly to pressure from a fork. Add water to keep vegetables covered. Timing depends on size of pot, size of carrots and your stove's ability to simmer.
Taste the broth and adjust salt as needed. You adjust salt by adding more water if its too salty or adding a little more salt if its too dull.
While the stock is cooking, peel and cut up vegetables, any vegetables you have or like. When the carrots are ready, add your vegetables in the order of their need for cooking time.
Start by adding the hard, root vegetables or winter squash that need time to cook. Let the stock come back to a simmer and cook them for a few minutes, until almost tender. After the hard vegetables cook, add vegetables like green beans, bell peppers, cabbage, broccoli, that need less cooking. Let them simmer awhile until they are bright colored and tender.
Last to go into the pot, the delicate vegetables that cook very quickly. Mushrooms, chopped greens, chopped lettuce, scallions, summer squash, tomatoes are examples of quick cooking vegetables. Toss them into the simmering pot. Stir and give them a few minutes to cook.
If you have leftover vegetables in the refrigerator, add them to your soup with the delicate veggies. They will heat while the the others are cooking.
This is also a good time to add seasonings. Dried thyme, basil, oregano or your favorite seasoning mix will taste great. A Cajun spice mix, Italian or French herb mixtures will be good, too. I like spicy food, so I add a few dashes of cayenne pepper.
When the vegetables are cooked to your liking, taste for seasoning. Adjust salt, pepper and spices to your taste.
Serve your soup hot. You can add a protein exchange by topping the soup with an ounce of grated cheese or a quarter cup of cottage cheese sprinkled with a little Parmesan.
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