Creamy Clean-out-the-fridge Soup
Does it sound funky?
It’s really delicious.
And it can be made with an assortment
Of different ingredients.
It has five basic standard components:
1) 6 cups of Stock
2) 2 tablespoons of Butter
3) 2 tablespoons of Flour
4) 2-4 cups of Vegetables
5) Herbs
Meat might also seem like a standard,
But it is only an optional 6th ingredient.
If you’re a vegetarian, it’s not necessary.
Now for the fun:
Each component is actually a category!
Here are some suggestions for each:
Stock
• Beef
• Chicken
• Vegetable
Butter
• Actual butter
• Olive oil butter substitute
• Country crock
Flour
• Standard white flour
• Gluten free oat flour
• Gluten free rice flour
• Whole wheat flour
Vegetables
One or more of the following:
• Carrots
• Peas
• Green Beans
• Potatoes
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Bell Peppers
• Scallions
• Celery
• Spinach
• Corn
• Asparagus
• Canned diced tomatoes
• Okra
Meats
• Boiled, rotisserie, fried or bbq Chicken
• Turkey
• Roast or shredded Beef
• Pulled Pork or pork chops
• Italian, andouille, breakfast or chorizo Sausage
• Shrimp
Herbs
• Fresh or dried Basil
• Fresh or dried Parsley
• Fresh or powdered Garlic
• Powdered Onion
• Fresh or dried Oregano
• Fresh or dried Thyme
• Black Pepper
• White Pepper
• Cajun Seasoning (to make it spicy)
Here’s how to make it
1) Get a large stock pot and put the butter in, turning the pot on medium-high.
2) When the pot is hot, add all the fresh vegetables that weren’t
previously stewed or canned. Allow them to cook, stirring and mixing
so they cook evenly, for about five minutes.
3) Add the flour and mix the vegetables to coat them
4) Add the stock and any cooked vegetables
5) If the meat is raw, cook it separately first. If it is cooked, chop
it into small shreds, cubes or slices and add to the soup mix
6) Add between 1 tsp-1tbsp of basil, oregano, parsley, onion, garlic
and/or thyme, more or less depending on how plain or flavorful you
want the soup and if the meats already had seasonings.
Add between ½ tsp-2tsp of Cajun seasoning (or other spicy seasonings)
depending on how spicy you want the soup.
Only add ½ tsp of pepper.
7) Bring soup to a boil, then turn down to medium low. Cover and allow
to simmer for 30 minutes.
8) Serve over a carb such as rice, quinoa or pasta. (optional)
If the soup contains fresh meats or no meat, then leaving it overnight
in the refrigerator will allow the flavor to blossom.
For food safety reasons:
If the meats added to the soup were already 3 or more days old, it is
important to consume the soup within 1-2 days. If you add any kind of
pre-cooked seafood, it will be important to consume it in one meal
(leftovers could spoil quickly).
Never use meat that is more than a week old, seafood that is more than
two days old, meat that has freezer burn or meat-based stock that has
been opened and has sat in the refrigerator for more than two weeks.
