I am on a self-imposed challenge to use up some odds and ends, trying to make room for our Thanksgiving but also just something I do every few months to clean out the freezer of older things.
We had some hot dogs left from my daughter’s graduation party in June and some neighbor’s had a party recently and gave us their leftover hot dog buns, which I froze (having had a miscount for the party so luckily NOT left with too many hot dog buns!). Anyway, the menu tonight was for barbecued hot dogs and a can of Bush’s baked beans, which we love. I decided to augment that with a very simple vegetable soup, which I might spice up later in the week but left very simple tonight.
Vegetable Soup with Potato and Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 Tbs oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cups homemade chicken broth
- 1 can of green beans, drained
- 1 potato, peeled and diced
Instructions
- Heat the oil and saute the onion a few minutes, until softened. (I do this while I’m prepping the garlic, carrots, and celery.) Add the garlic and stir, cooking a minute or so.
- Add the celery and carrots and stir. (At this point I peel and dice the potato, letting the other vegetables cook.)
- Add the both, potato, green beans, thyme, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes and carrots are cooked through.
This is the very simple version. Another day I might also add some chopped cabbage and/or zucchini and/or peas or corn or … you get the idea.
Had I wanted a heartier soup I might have added some rice or beans or pasta. If I’d wanted something spicier I might have added some salsa or pesto or even some spicy sausage.
If you like, you can make this very simple the first night, as I did here, then spice it up a bit another night later in the week to go with something else. Sausage and shrimp and okra could make it into gumbo. Chicken and black beans and salsa and some crushed tortilla chips could go great with a Mexican meal.
I do think the key is good broth. I haven’t bought chicken broth in years. I make my own homemade chicken broth or turkey broth and freeze it.
The title speaks for itself. This is indeed a very simple vegetable soup. This is best for people who are always busy.