No Recipe Vegetable Soup

…or clean out the fridge soup.  I call it both.  This is today’s lunch. 

This is something I made up a while ago, just to get more vegetables into my diet.  I’ve found, over time, that it has the added bonus of helping me use up odds and ends of produce in my fridge.

Here’s how it starts:

I usually use olive oil or butter to saute some onions and garlic.  While that’s going on, it chop up and drop in any hard vegetables.  This one has carrots, celery, broccoli, and a few fingerling potatoes.

Once that stuff starts to barely soften and possible stick to the pan, I add in water.  You can use broth too, especially if you have a portion you need to use up.  I add just enough to scrape up any bits on the pan.  Then I season with salt and pepper and add enough water to cover the veggies.

Let it go:

This is where it really gets easy.  Just let it sit and simmer on low, adding in water if it gets low.  I added two quart jars during the making of this large pot. I let it go for at least an hour, but I often start it in the morning and have it for lunch, so about 3 hours.  This one was a 3 hour batch. 

If you have any soft veggies you want to add, like tomatoes or kale, go ahead and add them in once you get it simmering.

Jazz it up:

Anywhere in the cooking process you can add more seasonings or dried herbs.  If you use fresh herbs, wait for the end.  For this bowl I added dried Italian seasoning.  Then when I spooned it into the bowl, I added some chopped avocado I needed to use up, some fresh parsley from the garden, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Have anything else you need to use up?

Are you sensing  theme here?  Have you noticed the repeated use of the phrase “use it up”?  I noticed that I have some shredded chicken in the fridge and I’m planning on adding that to my soup for tomorrows lunch- viola!  Chicken and veggie soup! 

There really is no wrong way to do this.  Just keep tasting and seasoning when you stir it every half hour to an hour or so.  I have put in just about every combination of things in the past and it always mellows down into this savory, warm, almost sweet concoction that I crave every fall and winter now.

The leftovers go into a jar for other quick meals the rest of the week.  It could also be taken to a friend. 

What’s your go-to easy lunch?