 Necessity is the mother of invention, so they say. I’ve started this soup challenge… of course right now I’m broke so I’m limited to what is on hand in the fridge and pantry. So that means getting creative. I hate being broke. I feel like it’s been a constant state of affairs since graduating college. I’m grateful for the education but good lord the debt… that and the herniated discs… moving multiple times in the last few years etc… woof. So cheap eats are important to me. Which, is one of the many things I love about soup, most of the time soup is relatively inexpensive. There are certain things I try to always have on hand in my pantry. I’ve grown to love the brand Better than Bouillon (https://www.betterthanbouillon.com/products/)(I am not paid or any way bribed to say this… though if they want to keep me in product I’d sure be happy) A 8 oz jar of this goodness is approx $5 and they have a variety of versions and I try to keep at least two or three on hand.. every now and then they have a big jar at Costco of the chicken. These are lower sodium and don't have MSG like traditionally bouillon. Each 8oz jar has about 38 servings… you can make a lot of soup with that and it takes up less space in your fridge than the box stocks. I like them because you can mix and match to create complex flavors and adjust the amount for more delicate or intense flavors as you like…. Ok product endorsement over.   Other things I like to have on hand: Onions, Carrots, Celery … otherwise known as Mirepoix it's the root of all classic cooking. Also thankfully for those of us who are on a budget they are relatively cheap ingredients and great for bulking up soups.
Noodles and rice… also a great way to bulk up a soup. Israeli couscous (that's the larger type) and quinoa are also great additions. A large variety of spices, vegetable paste, soy sauce, and fish sauce. So what was my soup du jour? Ginger Soy Chicken and vegetables with Noodles – about 6 medium size bowls ¼ Onion chopped 1 Carrot Sliced 6 Brussel Sprouts Sliced 1/4 Yellow Squash sliced and quartered 1 Tbs Garlic chopped 1 Chicken breast 1Tbs Vegetable paste 1 Tbs Better than Bouillon Lobster Base 1Tbs Better than Bouillon Chicken Base 1 Tbs Better than Bouillon Vegetable Base 1 Tbs Tamari Soy Sauce 1 Tsp Ginger ½ Tsp Cumin ½ Tsp Red pepper flakes 4 ½ Cups Water handful of Explore Cuisine Organic Edamami Spaghetti (we got this at Costco a while back they have the consistency of ramen or buckwheat noodles and you could easily substitute these) Saute sliced onions till translucent, add carrots, brussel sprouts, and yellow squash and sauté for 5 minutes, add chicken and stir for a few minutes, add soy sauce, Better than Bouillon bases, and spices. Stir. Add water. Simmer for a couple hours. Bring to a boil and add noodles, cook till tender. Adjust seasoning as necessary. Making soup can be a super budget friendly meal the total cost of ingredients used was maybe $8… pretty good for 6 bowls of soup.
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