Happy Eats!

Here’s a low fat soup that’s much more delicious than it deserves to be. It’s light and healthy, yet so yummy you’ll go back for seconds and thirds. And you can feel good about making it, since you’re using up all those odds and ends of veggies hiding in the crisper drawer of your fridge.

One of the best things about this soup is it’s very hard to screw up. I invented it while concoting one of my “leftovers” lunches, where I dig around in the fridge and try to come up with something creative from whatever I have on hand. By following this basic technique, you can substitute VERY freely. If you don’t have one thing, try another. Heck, you were going to throw that stuff out anyway - so why not experiment?

If you don’t happen to have half a head of cauliflower, improvise. You can use broccoli, or a hunk of cabbage, like Savoy or Napa or even red cabbage - doesn’t matter. You can add just about any other vegetable, in small or large quantities. Got some leftover rotisserie chicken? Throw that in at the end. I’ve even tossed lettuce in this soup (though don’t put in too much - some lettuce gets a very cabbage-y flavor when it’s cooked!). Just make sure you season well at the end. And try to maintain a rough three-to-one proportion of solids to liquids - three cups liquid to one cup veggies - otherwise you’ll end up with stew instead of soup!

• 1/2 head of cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, bok choy, etc.
• 1 small-medium onion
• 2 teaspoons olive oil or 1 tablespoon butter
• a few carrots, sliced or cut into cubes
• 1-2 cups assorted chopped fresh veggies (whatever you have)
• 1/4 cup good chicken or vegetable broth powder, or 6 chicken or vegetable broth cubes
• Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 cup uncooked rice or macaroni
• 1/4 cup condensed skim or fat free milk, unsweetened (optional)
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup leftover cooked chicken (optional)

Fill a soup or stock pot (6 quart capacity or larger) with water and bring it to a boil. While you’re waiting for the water to boil, chop up the onion, throw it in a saute pan with the oil or butter, and cook over medium heat for a few minutes, until the onion starts to “sweat.”

Hack the cauliflower into chunks if it’s not already chopped up, and toss it into the pot of boiling water to “blanch” it (”blanching” is pre-cooking in boiling water for a minute or two to get rid of excessively strong flavors). After a minute or two, drain the veggies in a colander. (Blanching normally requires you to plunge the food into ice water, but don’t bother - it’s going right back into the pot!)

Rinse the pot, add about 2 quarts of water, the broth powder or cubes (I really like the “vegetarian” chicken broth powder sold by Whole Foods Markets. Another good brand is McKay’s, which comes in a jar, or the real chicken broth powder or cubes made by Knorr. But be careful - if you use Knorr, don’t add extra salt!). Add a pinch of salt, a good grinding of pepper, the dried parsley flakes, and all the chopped veggies, including the blanched vegetables, the onion and its juices, the carrot, and any other stuff you have lying around.

Bring everything to a simmer, then keep it simmering uncovered for about 15 minutes. Add the rice or macaroni and cook another 15 minutes or so, until the rice and pasta are tender.

If you want a creamy soup, add the optional condensed skim milk. Here’s where you add the chicken if you have it. Simmer a minute or two more, then taste for seasoning. If it’s too salty, add a teaspoon or so of sugar, stir well, and taste again. If it needs zip, add a few sprinkles of dried herbs, some chili flakes, or an all-purpose seasoning blend like Spike or Mrs. Dash. If you happen to have some fresh herbs growing in the garden, you can chop some up and throw those in, too. As I said, improvise!

Serve very hot, with a toasted English muffin, some crisp crackers, or good old ordinary store-bought bread smeared with a little real butter.

Four generous servings, more or less!