Canola Harvest – Clean Out the Fridge Soup
Did you know that more than half of all food produced in Canada is wasted? That’s about 35.5 million tonnes of food! With shopping trips to the grocery store limited to once a week or less, you’re likely looking for ways to use up your produce as well. One easy way to make use of what you already have, is by making your own soup. There are no hard and fast rules to cooking your own “Clean Out the Fridge Soup” since we all likely have different ingredients on hand. Below are some tips on how to make an easy soup at home:
Clean Out The Fridge Soup
Broth Directions:
• Save leftover roast chicken and turkey carcasses to make your broth. Bones can be frozen if not used within 4 days of roasting. Simply place the carcass in your slow cooker and fill with water. Add half an onion, a few cloves of garlic, a carrot and a celery stalk, and spices to taste. Set to LOW for 10-12 hours. Strain out bones and vegetables, and skim top of broth to remove fat.
• Not keen on making your own broth? No worries. Use canned or boxed broth, or bouillon cubes and water. About 6 cups of broth yields 4-6 servings of soup, depending on what other ingredients are added.
Soup Directions:
• Heat your favourite Canola Harvest oil in a large pot. Add any chopped onions or garlic if desired, and cook down until soft.
• Mix in fresh or dehydrated herbs.
• Chop up desired root vegetables such as beets, carrots, or potatoes and add to pot. Simmer until almost tender.
• Add any softer vegetables, such as chopped zucchini, tomatoes, peas, or corn. Slightly wilted celery or green onions may not work for most recipes, but they will work well in soups.
• Add left over meats, such as chicken, ground beef, or ham. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
• Leftover cooked pasta or rice can be added in the final minutes until they are re-heated. Do not overheat to avoid overcooking the pasta or rice.
Since you’re not following a recipe, it’s a good idea to taste your soup at the end to decide what spices to add. Don’t feel limited to only using up produce- consider adding pantry items to your as well! Canned beans, chickpeas, and tomatoes make excellent additions to any homemade soup. Get creative and give making your own Clean Out the Fridge Soup a try!
