Most canned soups contains too much salt, fat and unwanted additives. Plus they are fairly flavorless. You can get the convenience of canned soup with fresher, heartier ingredients if you make a big pot of soup home. If you use precooked protein and grains you can assemble your soup in no time and freeze individual portions of the leftover soup for future use.
Our Mix and match soups are very easy to make. Use the chart and invent one of your own.
MIX AND MATCH: SOUP, serves 6-8
| LIQUIDS (8 CUPS)
Choose one
|
Low sodium beef broth,
Low sodium chicken broth, Coconut milk (1/2-1/4 cups only), Low sodium vegetable broth, Water |
| VEGGIES (3-4 CUPS) CHOPPED OR DICED
Choose any combination |
Broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, corn, fennel, green beans, kale, leeks, onions, parsnips, turnips, peppers, peas, spinach, squash, potatoes, tomatoes – canned, whole, crushed with basil, zucchini |
| PRECOOKED GRAINS/PASTA (1-2 CUPS)
Choose one, add in last 10 minutes
|
Barley,
Bulgur wheat, Pasta uncooked – they will cook in the soup – 1/2 cup small pasta: alphabets, elbows, small shells, orzo or up to 1 cup medium pasta: penne, fusilli) Quinoa, rinsed uncooked (1/2 cup) – add I last 15 minutes as it will cook in soup, Rice, cooked (any variety) |
| PRE-COOKED PROTEINS (1 ½ CUPS)
Choose one – if beans, use precooked or canned and rinsed. Add in the last 10 minutes of cooking. |
Beef, cubed or ground and browned
Beans choose any – black, white, red Chicken precooked, cubed or shredded Lamb, precooked and cubed Lentils Seafood – raw (any variety) – will cook in soup in 10-20 minutes Beans Turkey, precooked, cubed shredded or ground |
| FAT (1-2 TBSP)
Choose one |
Full fat yogurt
Ghee Olive oil or others Sour cream |
| SOUP SPICES (2-3 TBSP)
Choose any |
Basil, Bay leaf, Cardamom, Cayenne pepper (very spicy, start with ¼ – ½ tsp), Chili powder (very spicy, start with ¼ – ½ tsp), Cilantro,, Coriander, Cumin, Curry powder, Dill, Dry mustard, Fennel seeds, Mustard seeds, Powder paprika, Parsley, Pepper, Rosemary, Saffron, Sage, Sea salt, Tarragon, Thyme
|
| EXTRA FLAVORINGS (to taste)
Choose any |
Balsamic or other flavoured vinegar, Beer, Chili oil, Dijon mustard, Garlic, Ginger, Hot pepper sauce, Miso, Shallots, Sherry (dry), Soy sauce, Wine |
USING THE MIX AND MATCH CHART
At the left column you see amounts listed. Choose any combination of the ingredients in the second column to get the total amount for each category. For instance: you might want to make a root soup by combining a mix of leeks, parsnips, carrots and potatoes, totaling 3 cups. Or you may want to make a carrot soup, using 3 cups of just carrots.
Combine ingredients from each row into a soup according to the directions.
SOUP FORMULA
- 1-2 tbsp fat
- 3 cups chopped veggies
- 8 cups broth or soup stock
- 2-3 tbsp combined spices and herbs
- Extra flavoring
- 1 ½ cups chopped and precooked protein
- 1 ½ cups cooked grains or whole grain pasta
- Salt and pepper
Heat fat in soup pot over medium heat. Then saute onions or garlic until fragrant. (2-3 minutes). This step is optional, but will heighten the flavours of the soup.
Combine vegetables, broth, herbs and extra flavorings in the soup pot and heat on medium high heat until soup reaches a low boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered until hardest vegetables are tender, 10-30 minutes.
Add protein and grains for last 10 minutes only, so that they don’t overcook.
Sample the soup at the end of cooking time – add salt and pepper to taste if it need a boost.
TRY THESE GREAT COMBOS
Lentil soup: vegetable broth, hearty greens (kale or collard), onion, celery, carrots, diced tomatoes, cooked brown or wild rice, brown lentils, olive oil, garlic, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
Direction for slow cooker: Wash greens, remove the thick ribs, and chop into 2 cm pieces. Chop onion, celery and carrots into small thin rounds. Put all ingredients except cooked grains in the slow cooker. Cook on low heat for 6-7 hours. Add optional cooked grains 15 minutes before serving. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Directions for stovetop: Wash greens, remove the thick ribs, and chop into 2 cm pieces. Chop onion, celery and carrots into small thin rounds. Heat oil in a soup pot with onions and garlic over medium heat for 3 minutes. Stir frequently. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add optional cooked grains for the last 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
BEAN AND VEGETABLE TURKEY CHILLY: Olive oil, onion, turkey (raw, ground or cooked breast), chili powder, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, pre-cooked beans, low-sodium chicken broth, diced tomatoes, red pepper, carrots, mushrooms, fresh cilantro, fresh lemon juice.
Directions for stovetop: Wash the carrots. Wash the red pepper. Remove core and seeds. Stem the mushrooms. Chop all into small bite-size pieces. Heat oil in a large pot with onion over medium high heat for 4 minutes. If using raw ground turkey, add it and brown for 5 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients, except cooked poultry, cilantro and lime juice. Cook for 25 minutes. If using cooked poultry, add in the last 10 minutes. Mix, add fresh cilantro and lime juice. Optional – garnish with lime wedges.
Lunchbox Soups mix and match
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