Description
Terra Futura Veggie Scrap Soup is a flavorful, resourceful soup that makes use of assorted vegetable scraps to create a nourishing and comforting broth. Enhanced with herbs, spices, and optional ingredients like beans, lentils, or potatoes, this soup is both economical and delicious, perfect for reducing waste while enjoying a wholesome meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetable Scraps and Broth
- 3 cups assorted clean vegetable scraps (carrot peels, onion ends, celery leaves, mushroom stems, leek tops, herb stems)
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (or more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or mixed dried herbs
- 6 cups water
Optional Additions
- 1 cup cooked beans or lentils
- 1 cup diced potatoes or diced squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for sautéing
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Rinse Vegetable Scraps: Rinse all vegetable scraps thoroughly to remove any dirt or debris, ensuring the soup remains clean and fresh.
- Sauté Aromatics: In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add crushed garlic and any onion scraps, then sauté for about 2 minutes until fragrant, which helps release their flavors.
- Add Vegetable Scraps: Add the remaining vegetable scraps to the pot and stir for 2 to 3 minutes to begin softening and combining their flavors.
- Add Seasonings and Water: Incorporate the bay leaf, whole black peppercorns, dried thyme or mixed herbs, sea salt, and pour in 6 cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
- Simmer Soup: Once boiling, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking of all ingredients.
- Add Optional Ingredients: In the last 10 minutes of simmering, add cooked beans, lentils, or diced potatoes/squash if using, to give the soup extra texture and nutrition.
- Finish and Blend: Remove the soup from heat and discard the bay leaf and any large tough scraps if preferred. For a chunky texture, serve as is; for a smoother consistency, blend partially or fully using an immersion blender.
- Season and Serve: Stir in the juice of half a lemon and adjust salt or seasoning if necessary. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with chopped fresh parsley, and serve hot.
Notes
- Using a variety of vegetable scraps maximizes flavor and minimizes food waste.
- You can skip sautéing and add all scraps directly to water for a more rustic broth.
- Adjust herbs and seasoning to your preference for different flavor profiles.
- The soup can be stored refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Optional ingredients such as beans, lentils, or potatoes add protein and heartiness.
- Blending is optional; leaving soup chunky preserves the texture of the vegetable scraps.
