Recipe: Clean Out the Veggie Drawer Soup

The word for me this year is “Abundance”. Yet I know as I want to see everything in my life through the lens of abundance and not scarcity, it is hard to ignore the reality that there are many in this country whose reality is far from abundant. As lines at food banks have grown, I’ve become hyper vigilant about how to not waste my own abundance.

Each week I look through my refrigerator and find ways to not waste any of the foods I’ve cooked or not cooked. For Christmas I had cooked a standing rib roast, which was a splurge for my small family. As there were only four of us at dinner, there was plenty of roast leftover. A few days later, I sliced the meat thinly, sautéed it with onions and mushrooms. I then added some seasonings, evening experimenting by adding a little steak sauce. I served the meat mixture on leftover buns from the holidays, turning the leftover into my version of a steak sandwich. I also added the arugula that was in the fridge on the sandwich. If I’d had any leftover coleslaw I would have added that as well. Instead I used some pickles to give the sandwich a little acidity. Given the price of the roast, there was no way I was going to let one tiny morsel of that meat get thrown out.

I have become an expert in making fried rice as I repurpose leftover rice that is always in my refrigerator. I’ve learned to store the rice in Ziploc bags, storing them in the freezer. Every week I pull the rice out to make fried rice. This dish allows me to reuse any leftover protein and any veggies in the fridge. The best recipe I’ve come up with is to saute 1 clove of garlic and grated ginger in avocado oil in a hot pan. Once the aromatics have started to cook, I’ll thrown in protein, then veggies. Once things have started to cook, I’ll add either Chinese cooking wine or sherry vinegar. I will push veggies to one side of pan then add the beaten egg to cook. Once egg is cooked, I’ll add the rice, breaking it up as it mixes with the veggies and protein. For flavor, I’ll add some soy sauce and black pepper.

During the winter months, I love to make soups of all varieties. My favorite is what I call the Clean Out the Veggie Drawer Soup. Here is my recipe for a hearty vegetable soup that can use up all of those vegetables about to go bad if left unused.

2 cloves of garlic minced

Any type of onion (I have been known to throw in leftover leeks, onions of any color, or shallots)

3 or 4 celery stalks sliced thinly. You can add more if you find the celery is starting to wilt.

2 carrots sliced thinly

Kale, spinach, or any greens that are rattling in the back of your fridge

Any beans if you have them or even asparagus

Potatoes if you have them, but not necessary

I large can of peeled tomatoes

Broth of your choice (If you want to keep the soup vegetarian, add veggie broth or water. If you aren’t vegetarian, chicken broth is always a good way to go for flavor)

1 can of white beans if you have them, but not necessary.

Any leftover herbs can be thrown in as well. I’ve been known to use up thyme, basil, and parsley.

In a large Dutch Oven, saute the garlic and onions in olive oil. Make sure to not burn the garlic. Add rest of the vegetables except greens. Add canned tomatoes and broth to cover veggies. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Lower temperature, place lid on the pot. It should simmer for about 25 minutes. Once the veggies are cooked, you can add the greens, canned beans, cook for another 10 minutes.

Serve with crusty bread. If you want a bit more oomph and serve it as a meal, you could add some orzo or small pasta.

In my efforts to make sure my own abundance does not turn into waste has made me become more creative in the kitchen. Although I donate to many food banks in the city, cleaning out the fridge, making sure to use up all that I am fortunate to have in there, is my small way of making sure that I am not contributing to a culture of excess waste when so many are in need.

If you make the soup, let me know what things you substituted. Send me pics since I am a huge proponent of food porn.