Base Soup that Keeps on Keepin' On

Base Soup that Keeps on Keepin’ On

If I develop a Rain Water Soup, it will break the Internet!!  I have determined not to let anything Covid 19 get me down.  This is my 64^th spring in Tennessee so I understand this roller-coaster ride we are all buckled into and refuse for these dark, damp days to get me down.  Tornadoes threaten, beans, toilet tissue, and odd amenities have disappeared from shelves.  I am tempted to hit the skids on that, but I shall not let it get me down.  Right now, I am making do.  Have the right ingredient/implement or item I need to accomplish some goal like cooking, gardening, or housekeeping?  Good, I use it.  Don’t have it?  Make do.  One quick Google search and almost ANYTHING has a substitute that will work.  No waste, use-it-up, wear-it-out state-of-mind that suites me well.  Reminds me of a story about my grandmother.

Did I tell you about cleaning out the outbuildings at my grandparents’ farm in Beech Hill, Tennessee?  As my sisters and I went from building to building (shed, barn, hayloft, and hen-house) as we discovered many “treasures.”  My grandparents had built every building on the farm and each was a trove of stories and blasts-from-the-past that delighted us.  We saved the henhouse for last for obvious reasons.  It was an old log building with a rickety door, no windows, and little prospect of housing anything of value.  And I thought it was likely to stink.  When we pried the door open the light spilled on to the most amazing sight – none of us could have been prepared for this.  There were hundreds of empty one-gallon milk jugs!  Most were hung from ropes from the ceiling.  Not thrown in there, but orderly arranged on long strands of rope.  I loved everything about my grandmother – everything.  She saved the foam trays that meat comes on, she saved bread-ties, and jars and empty bread bags and coffee cans.  Those were just top of the list. Nothing was cluttered or even in view, but they were saved and used, and used, and used.  Except those milk jugs.  I will never know her plan, but by George, I do not doubt that she had one.  Now-a-days when I “make do” with something, I smile to myself knowing how proud she would be of me. 

So, what does all of that have to do with the soup I am recommending today?  Several of you have told me that you only cook once or twice a week and live off leftovers the rest of the days.  Got me to thinking about how to take something on hand and see how many ways we could “make it new” all week.  Came up with this – hope it works for you.

Base Soup  (vegetable-cheese)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

4 -6 slices bacon (I cut this into tiny bits with kitchen scissors)

1 large onion, finely chopped with kitchen chopper (see Pam’s Musts kitchen
           gadgets post)

3-5 carrots, diced (kitchen chopper)

1 whole head broccoli, diced (less if you want)

1 whole cauliflower, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon chili powder

3 tablespoons parsley (dried, or ¼ cup fresh)

¼-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

6 cups broth – can use chicken, beef, vegetable

1 – 2 cups heavy cream

2 – 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Yes, that makes a lot of soup.  That’s ok – you can cut it in half or double it!  Depends on how many times you want to use it the week you make it. 

1.     In a big pot (Dutch oven) brown the bacon in a couple of tablespoons of butter. 

2.     Remove crispy bacon bits leaving the grease in pot.  You will use them later.

3.     Add diced onion to the pot. When they are translucent, add all other veggies. 

4.     Cook until all veggies are mostly soft.  This is why you needed to dice them finely.  Add more butter if needed.  Add ¼ cup of the broth to steam the veggies to rush them up a bit.

5.     Add the rest of the broth and all the seasonings. 

6.     Heat until almost a boil and let the veggies settle in with the broth and become one. 

7.     At this point if you want a really smooth soup, use an immersion blender to reduce small veggies to tiny veggies.  You do not have to do this if you like chunkier soup, but it might stretch better into more things if you smooth this soup now. 

8.     Turn soup on low and add cheese a cup at a time until smooth and completely dissolved.  You want this really cheesy so add some Velvetta as well if you like. 

9.     Turn soup on low, low setting and add heavy cream. 

10.   Right now it is ready for a bowl, some crusty dipping bread, a big sprinkle of bacon bits, and a big smile of satisfaction. 

Ways to use leftover soup:

Au gratin Potatoes (the cheating way)

1)   Slice or dice potatoes in pot of  salted water like you were making mashed potatoes.

2)   When potatoes are tender drain them and add them to a baking dish or crock pot, baptize them with leftover base soup, top with some extra cheese.  Cook in crock pot or in the oven (350) until heated throughout and bubbly around edges. 

Breakfast for the Week

            1.  Saute some ham, green onions, green peppers, and mushrooms in 3
                   tablespoons butter. 

            2.  Add some eggs (all this is proportional folks – depends on how many days
                   you want to eat eggs!).  Soft scramble the eggs until they are set.

            3.  Stir in enough of your leftover soup to add a good cheesy consistency. 

            4.  Pour into individual over-proof baking dishes (serving size) and put in
                   refrigerator and leave there at least overnight. 

            5.  Cook each morning as suit your plans at 350 degrees for 15 – 18 minutes. 

Cheesy Chicken

1.     Use either chicken breasts or chicken thighs.

2.     Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika. 

3.     Brown in butter or olive oil on stove top.  Do not cook completely, but get a pretty brown color. 

4.     Add chicken to oven-proof baking dish.  Cover with leftover base soup.  Top with crunched up:  Parmesan cheese crisps; Ritz crackers, flavored potato chips (like Ranch or Green Onion).  You can get crazy here and add bacon bits, or sundried tomatoes.  No wrong way.

5.     Bake chicken at 375 degrees until thoroughly cooked (juices run clear) and the cheese soup is bubbly – and the top of a beautiful brown. 

Crunchy Cheesy Chicken

1.     Again with the chicken breasts or thighs.

2.     Again with the soup. 

3.     Dip each piece of chicken in cold leftover cheese soup.

4.     Then dip each piece in Panko, crushed Ritz crackers, crushed Parm cheese crisps, crushed pecans, or crushed potato chips.

5.     Put on baking sheet that has been coated with olive oil.

6.     Bake in 400 degree oven until chicken is cooked and is a nice brown color.  Do not cover chicken while baking. 

No-Brainer Baked Potato

           

1.     Bake a potato. Large one is good.  Making a meal out of this one!

2.     Steam or sauté some broccoli, cauliflower, onions, mushrooms, asparagus and any other veggies you have in the frig. 

3.     Open piping hot potato and pour heated leftover soup in potato. 

4.     Top with fresh sauted, or steamed veggies. 

5.     Add more shredded cheddar cheese and bacon bits. 

Still have more soup?  Fishes and loaves!!  Give it to someone who could use a big bowl!  Cook and eat in good health and thrive on the drive it takes to get through these days.