Making Good Soup From What’s Left

The beef broth left over from a stew I’d served to company was taking up too much space in my refrigerator. Rather than overcrowd the freezer with it, I decided to make soup.

This inspiration struck at dinner time, too late to shop for ingredients, so I used what was on hand: a handful of mushrooms, a lone zucchini, a carrot, a potato and a small packet of dried roasted sweet corn.

Out in the garden, a late-season tomato had just ripened. I also picked some Italian parsley, a fresh bay leaf and a rather wrinkled red serrano chile still clinging to its bush (a bit of chile heat really perks up soup). Celery would have been nice, but I had none and so added a few leaves of lovage, an herb that tastes like celery. I also put in a pinch of herbes de Provence that a friend had brought back from southern France.

Now you see why I call this Odds and Ends Vegetable Soup. The only requirement is good homemade broth. Then you can add whatever you like from your own store of vegetables and herbs. I served the soup as a main dish. The accompaniments were hot chile-cheese bread and a glass of the same red wine that I had served at my dinner party.

Odds and Ends Vegetable Soup

Active Work Time: 15 * Total Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Accompany this with hot rolls or slices of green chile cheese-bread from a Mexican bakery. Look for the dried corn under the Melissa’s label at stores such as Bristol Farms and Gelson’s. You can also substitute drained canned corn.

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

1 large clove garlic, minced

Few slices seeded serrano chile, optional

1 tablespoon oil

4 cups beef stock, even a little more

1 baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes

1 carrot, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced crosswise 1/2-inch thick

1 large plum tomato, cubed

1 (3-ounce) package roasted dried sweet corn

Few lovage leaves, torn into pieces, or 1/2 stalk celery, sliced

1 tablespoon coarsely torn Italian parsley leaves

1 bay leaf

Dash herbes de Provence

6 black peppercorns

Salt

1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise, then sliced crosswise 1/2-inch thick

4 to 6 mushrooms, halved through the stem, then cut in thick slices

* Cook the onion, garlic and chile in the oil in a skillet over medium heat until the onion is tender, 5 minutes.

* Add the beef stock, potato and carrot and bring to a boil. Add the tomato, corn, lovage, parsley, bay leaf, herbes de Provence, the peppercorns and salt to taste. Simmer the soup, uncovered, until the potato starts to become tender, about 12 to 15 minutes.

* Add the zucchini and mushrooms and continue cooking until they’re just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve the soup in heated bowls.

6 to 8 servings. Each of 8 servings: 73 calories; 761 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 1.78 grams fiber.