Debi’s Mix-and-Match Soup Recipe

This recipe is excerpted and adapted with permission from the book, Mix-n-Match Recipes: Creative Ideas for Today’s Busy Kitchens by Deborah Taylor-Hough.

by Debi

Ever spend so much time involved with a project that you forget to think about what you’re going to have for dinner? Yeah, me, too.

But I have a back-up plan for those nights when I forget to think about dinner. Basically I can clear out my cupboards and fridge and make homemade soup. Yep. Mix-and-Match Soup, you’re my hero!

This is a seriously simple way to make a meal out of whatever’s hiding in the back recesses of your cupboards or freezer. It’s the answer to the age old question, “What do we eat when there’s nothing to eat?”

It’s sort of like the classic children’s story, Stone Soup — only without the stone! 🙂 I’d probably break a tooth.

(Excerpted and adapted with permission from Mix-n-Match Recipes.)

Mix-and-Match Soup (8 generous servings)

Broth (choose one)

Tomato: One 12-ounce can of tomato paste plus two 16-ounce cans of tomatoes with juice (chopped) plus water to equal 10 cups total
Chicken/Turkey: 10 cups broth or 4 bouillon cubes dissolved in 10 cups of water
Beef: 10 cups broth or 4 bouillon cubes dissolved in 10 cups of water

Protein (choose one — 1 pound or 2 cups, cooked)

Ground beef, browned
Leftover meatballs or meatloaf, chopped
Cooked chicken or turkey (cut up)
Ham (cut up)
Lentils
Frankfurters, sliced (or any sausage or Kielbasa)
Pepperoni, sliced
Beans, cooked or canned (pintos, kidney, Great Northern, etc.)

Grain (choose 1 or 2 for a total of 2 cups)

Rice, cooked (any variety)
Barley, cooked
Pasta, raw
Corn
Dumplings (add near end of cooking time)

Vegetables (raw, cooked or canned, choose 2 or more for a total of 1 to 2 cups)

Cabbage
Carrots
Celery
Onion
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Green beans
Turnips
Parsnips
Broccoli
Peas or pea pods
Cauliflower
Bell pepper
Zucchini (add raw)

Seasonings (choose 2 to 4 spices, 1 to 2 teaspoons each)

Basil
Cayenne (dash)
Chives
Cumin
Garlic
Marjoram
Onion powder
Thyme
Rosemary
Parsley
Oregano

To Prepare Soup:

Bring the broth to a boil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Add all of the ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat and simmer one hour.

Slow Cooker Prep:

Pour the boiling stock and other ingredients into a slow cooker and simmer for 8 to 12 hours or overnight on LOW setting.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Deborah Taylor-Hough is a freelance writer and author of Frugal Living for Dummies® and the popular Frozen Assets cookbook series.

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