I hate wasting food! Just want to make that clear.
Last week I decided to make some soup and started with a sort of minestrone in mind. I checked the fridge for stray vegetables and then chopped onions, carrots, celery and a stray pepper which was looking a bit unloved. I fried some bits of bacon and then slung everything in the slow cooker with a couple of tins of chopped tomatoes, a glug of olive oil and some spaghetti broken up small.
I think I went a bit overboard on making sure it was a good hearty soup because it was more like a stew but none the worse for that. It was wonderful!
So a few days later I tried the same sort of thing but this time I had no bacon and I omitted the olive oil. It wasn't a patch on the previous effort.
But I don't like wasting food so I threw in a couple of spoonfuls of pesto. That improved it but it still wasn't a success. I dithered and thought about freezing some of it to see if I like it better in a couple of weeks but I know from hard-won experience that I would just avoid eating it.
But thinking about the freezer reminded me that there was some Stilton left from Christmas so I fished it out and melted it into the soup.
It was wonderful! It still is wonderful but it won't be wonderful for much longer.
The weather outside is grim so sitting inside seems like a good idea.
And funnily enough the soup seems to be disappearing.
Well done for the rescue, I love all in soups, and with the cold air which has come back this weekend a perfect meal, we just used a stew pack and had a lovely soup for lunch, 4 serving from a £1 pack.
ReplyDeleteI like creatiosn from the odds and ends, but yes, sometimes not the best end result. Great save!
ReplyDeleteYes, quite a few of the bits and pieces would have been well past their best in some people's eyes but imagination and determination made a super soup.
ReplyDeleteA bit of bacon does make a difference, but you managed to rescue with a clever idea!
ReplyDeleteYou are making me want to make soup! And I might!
ReplyDeleteMy soup-making skills need greatly improving. I had a chicken carcass, so added chopped celery, onion, potato, ginger, and bacon bits. Seasoned it well and put it on the hob to simmer.
ReplyDeleteYUK!!! Tried adding other stuff but gave up and threw the lot away.Huh!
My mum used to make soups like that and I didn't like them either!
DeleteHave you tried "sweating" the vegetables thoroughly in a little oil first and only then adding the stock? I think you may be making the same mistake as I used to. Cooking the veg like that intensifies the flavour and makes the soup almost edible.
Ha ha ha! 'Almost edible' doesn't sound too thrilling. If I bother to try making soup again, I'll try your suggestion - and if it turns out to be horrible, I'll be coming after you!!!
ReplyDelete