Today’s Recipe for Stretching the Dollar

I’ve gotten into the habit of looking through my refrigerator to  see what’s growing in there before I go to the grocery store.  I take it all out, reorganize the foods that can stay, and then go do my shopping.  After I get home with my bags full of groceries, and put them all away, I then make dinner from what was near distinction.

Today I found half a head of cauliflower just beginning to show tinges of brown, two limp carrots, a still perky celery stalk, a couple of budding potatoes and a leek. Not one to ever toss out leftovers or foods that are borderline, I decided to create one of my dollar stretching and wildly creative soups.

I had some chicken bouillon cubes, about two cups of milk that was getting iffy, and a package of powdered Knorr leek soup that I got on sale for a dollar and figured I’d find a use for some day. The point is… I made enough soup for two full dinners for four people for under two dollars (considering that most of the ingredients would have been thrown away if I didn’t make the soup!).

The best part about this whole thing is that I could interchange or do without any one of the ingredients, or substitute another thing for it easily.  For example, instead of raw cauliflower- try frozen, leftover from a previous dinner, or even substitute broccoli. Or:

• carrots and celery-totally optional
• leek- substitute onions, green onions, shallots, or chives
• potatoes- I add them for natural thickening, instead of using flour…but you can make a roux by frying equal parts of butter and flour, and use that instead
• bouillon cubes-you can use canned or cartoned chicken broth, homemade chicken broth, powdered bouillon, or vegetable broth/ bouillon if you are vegetarian
• dried leek soup mix-you can use any creamed soup or none.  I used it because it helped to thicken the soup without having to add flour of my own, and it also seasons the soup nicely.
• Milk- you can use water or more chicken broth instead, soy milk, or rice milk

To make the soup, chop everything raw up small and just barely cover with water.  Add salt and pepper to taste, a pat of butter and your bouillon cubes or substitute.  If you are using chicken broth do not use the water at all.  Cook covered until veggies are tender, then scoop out half (or all if you don’t like chunks in your soups), and blend in the blender.  Add it back to the pot, add your leek soup mix and stir until it comes to a boil.  Turn it off and let it sit for a while.  If it is too thick, add a bit of milk or water and stir well.

With this simple soup, you have saved money for other necessities or toward a goal (like redecorating), given your family a healthful, easy to prepare meal (especially good if you are a working mom), and have also done something “green” by not wasting a resource.  Let me know how you like it!