How to make soup without a recipe
- Mayo Clinic Press Editors
- 7 days ago
- 1 min read
You can create a comforting pot of soup anytime, with ingredients that you have on hand. It’s true. Raid your pantry and clean out your crisper drawer. Look for hearty vegetables that you can use to build a soup base — an onion or leek, a couple of carrots or celery stalks, maybe a bell pepper. Then, improvise the rest. Toss in seasonal vegetables, greens and herbs, or leftover proteins and grains. The toughest part? You have to decide whether to go for a broth-based bowl or a creamy cup.
If you’re not a confident cook, the idea of cooking without a recipe may seem daunting. Try it out. It’s easy to improvise a one-pot cozy supper.
Chop vegetables into uniform pieces.
Sauté onions or leeks in a teaspoon of oil or butter.
Add carrots.
Add celery.
Add bell peppers.
Add garlic.
Add stock or water and bring to a boil.
Add root veggies, like winter squash or potatoes.
Season with fresh or dried herbs (like thyme, rosemary and bay leaves).
Simmer 15 to 45 minutes, until vegetables are soft.
For a creamy soup, puree half or all now. For a broth-based soup, add canned beans, quick-cooking whole grains or cooked chicken now.
Stir in greens, like escarole, kale or spinach.
Season with salt and pepper.
