Clean-Out-the-Fridge Veggie Soup

Today I was thinking about what I would do with the homemade chicken stock (see below) I just made from the chicken I roasted earlier in the week…then I just started going through the fridge, seeing what veggies were near their spoil-date and just started throwing things together. It actually came out pretty darn tasty, so I thought I’d share:

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, sliced
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch rainbow chard (I pulsed these in a food processor as I would be sharing this with someone who doesn’t like eating greens…it just makes it look like there’s a LOT of herbs in the soup, but in fact, it’s healthy leafy greens!)
• salt, pepper, 1 bay leaf and herbs to taste (I used a bit of paprika, cumin and oregano)
• 2 tsp olive oil
• leftover egg noodles with peas (why not? You can add other leftovers like rice and chicken, or beans and rice…whatever would taste good with veggies)
• 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 qt (4 cups) chicken stock (preferably homemade)

Directions:

1. In a dutch oven, or other heavy, large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until starting to become translucent, about 4 minutes.
2. Add carrots, celery, salt, pepper and herbs and continue cooking, adding a little chicken stock if needed until they become soft (about 5-7 minutes).
3. Add can of tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a slow boil.
4. Add pureéd chard, reduce to simmer in partially covered pot for about 20 minutes.
5. Add leftovers (optional) and bring back to a simmer before serving. Remove bay leaf before serving.

I served this with a little grated goat cheese on top! Because I used leftover noodles, I may need to add some more broth to the leftover soup because the pasta really soaks it up. So, if you use pasta, rice or other grain that may soak up the broth, keep some stock handy to add to leftovers. Obviously, you can use pretty much any veggie you may have lying around the pantry or fridge. Try pureéing certain veggies to add more nutrition without necessarily seeing them. Some veggies that add a lot of flavor when pureéd are winter squash, yams, spinach, kale and even broccoli or cauliflower. You may need to add more broth with the starchier veggies like the squash or yams since they will thicken the soup.

Never made homemade chicken stock? Well next time you cook a chicken or even get a rotisserie chicken already cooked, save the carcass and make your own stock. This is “stocked” with nutrients and since you’re in control, you can add whatever you want to create the flavor you desire. This is what I did to make mine, but obviously, you can vary the ingredients to your taste:

• 1 chicken carcass (preferably organic), skin and meat removed
• 3 carrots, roughly chopped
• 3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
• 1 med onion, quartered
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• salt and pepper to taste (I also added paprika and oregano)
• 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, roughly chopped (this not only adds flavor, but parsley leaves are full of vitamins and minerals)
• 2 Tbsp cider vinegar (to draw the minerals out of the chicken bones and parsley)

Put everything in a large stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to simmer for at least 2-3 hours. Let cool, strain out solids and pour into a glass container (or containers) and refrigerate overnight. The next day, skim any fat off the top and use within 2 days or freeze for future use.