The Frugal Foodies: Soup’s On!

What’s so great about soup? It’s hot, delicious, and an easy dish to set and forget. You can make soups on your stove top, or throw the ingredients in the slow cooker and let it simmer all day.  Soup is a great way to stretch your dollar that will provide you with several meals. Needless to say, when you make soup, you make a lot, so what should you do with all of those leftovers? Freeze them! You can freeze soup for up to 6 months and it will taste just as fresh. Portion them out in 1-2 cup servings in individual containers to freeze. Defrost at your convenience for a quick and easy lunch or dinner.

What’s the trick to an amazing soup? Homemade broth is the answer! Whether it is chicken, veggie, or beef, homemade broth is a great staple to have on hand. Homemade broth isn’t pricey either. Use up your veggies that are about to go bad, wilted herbs, and any meat scraps or bones that you would usually throw away. They have great flavor! Cover all you veggies and/or meat with water and add an abundance of spices and herbs. Onions, carrots, celery, basil, peppercorns, and bay leaves are a great start. Wait to salt your broth until after it’s simmered for a couple hours, that way you can control the sodium levels. Looking for a quicker way to make soups? Purchase the unsalted or low-sodium stocks and broths from your local grocer to make a healthier soup.

What’s the difference between stocks and broths? Broth usually refers to a liquid that has meat, veggies, and seasoning for flavor, whereas, stock is simply flavored using bones or veggies that are roasted, without any seasoning in the liquid. Stock is characterized by a darker color than broth. You can use them interchangeably, just remember that you can add your own flavors to purchased stock and broth is already seasoned for you.

So, what’s your favorite soup? Here’s one of ours using homemade chicken broth:

Black Bean Soup is an easy, inexpensive and protein packed soup. This recipe is less than $1.00 per serving!

Ingredients:
● 1 tsp cooking oil
● 1/4 cup onion, chopped
● 2 cloves garlic, minced
● 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
● 1 cup broth (chicken, veggie, beef)
● 1 tsp ground cumin
● Pinch of cayenne pepper
● ½ tsp salt
● 1 Tbl chopped tomato (optional)
● 1 tsp chopped red onion (optional)
● Squeeze of lime juice (optional)

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
2. Add 1 can of black beans, broth, salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
3. Puree mixture until smooth and add back to pot.
4. Add the other can of black beans and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
5. Top with chopped tomato, onion, and fresh lime juice.

Make it your own! Add your favorite ingredients.
              avocado | cilantro | jalapeno