This is something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately, mostly because:
a) I like soup.
b) I like to save money.
When I make my own soup I often marvel at how inexpensive it is to pull it off. It doesn’t take a long time, and it’s almost always pretty good tasting too. :)
In your opinion, what’s the CHEAPEST soup recipe out there?
I made a huge pot of turkey stock after Christmas and it was really good. I was using the carcass (I guess you can say that was free) and veggies from the veggie drawer. I’m guesstimating a little, but the broth ingredients probably cost a dollar. How much do two carrots, a fistful of chopped celery and an onions cost? Not much. The soups I made from it later cost a little more perhaps. I’d boil some pasta in the broth and add some chopped carrot, celery, and turkey meat… but still, it was pretty darn cheap. And miles better than the canned stuff.
Tomato soup is also inexpensive to make, and it doesn’t take a lot of fancy ingredients. In the summer, if you’re growing tomatoes yourself, it’s practically free. If you’re using a can of tomatoes, all you need to do is pour them on top of a sauteed onion (how much is a glug of olive oil?), and add some water or broth and a sprinkle of spices.
What about potato soup? I made a batch the other day. I started with these wrinkled old things:
… and ended up with this silky delight:
The thing with potatoes is that you can use them if they’re wrinkled (it just means they’re dried out a bit) and sprouting (cut those off) but as long as they’re not smelly and rotting they are still totally edible. The soup pictured above was made out of a pound of potatoes from a 5lb bag I snagged on sale for $2.99.
I used this recipe but made a tactical error and put it in the food processor for a smidge too long (it turns very glutinous if you do that) so I ended up thinning it with a bit of that turkey stock I’d saved. It turned out pretty good. It tasted like liquid mashed potatoes, but still, it was pretty good.
Anyway, yes … I have definitely had soup on the brain lately. I posed my question to the Fishbowl FB page and I got a lot of great ideas here.
Kaitlin Wainwright threw her vote behind miso soup with tofu, scallions, and wakame (dried seaweed). And tomato.
Vivian Cheng from Blend Creations wrote: “I’d say it depends on what you have on hand, and the season. We save bones and other odd bits from roasts to make stock, so it’s no ‘extra’ cost. Root vegetables and fridge-clearing-less-than-pretty veggies go in the pot too. My soups tend to be a little different every time.” She also added: “Nutritionally, there are a lot of minerals from homemade stock (aka bone broth). The bones contain all the macrominerals and trace minerals that most people tend not to get enough of in their diet. Add to that, the proteins and gelatin are great for joints, skin and reduce inflammation. Adding a splash of vinegar (or other acid) will help draw the minerals out. (More info about the nutritional benefits of broth here)
Nicki McIlree posted a link to her grandma’s potato soup recipe, and I’m definitely adding it to my list. Yum!
Louise Gleeson wrote: “Whenever i have some wilty celery and some carrots, i head to the pantry and grab some lentils and canned tomatoes. this is a HUGE favourite. we make it several times/month. Lentil Tomato Soup.” There’s a picture of it over on this post.
Larry Woo shared a link with some great looking recipes for chilled summer soups. Including a roasted red pepper soup… yum!
Alan Viau posted a link to his favourite winter soup recipe, a gluten-free seafood chowder.
Sherry Osbourne likes Gordon Ramsey’s Broccoli Soup. “All you need to do is throw some broccoli into a pot with some salted water. Boil it for just a few minutes until it’s just started to soften. Spoon the broccoli into a blender and then fill it up about halfway with the water you cooked it in and blend until smooth. You can throw some black pepper on top when it’s done. It’s good just like that but if you happen to have some cheese (I like a few pieces of cheddar) you can put that in the bowl too and then pour the soup on top of it. So delicious. It costs very little to make, especially if you don’t do the cheese. Bonus, super healthy!”
What’s your cheapest soup recipe? I’d love to hear about it!
