Description
Terra Futura Veggie Scrap Soup is a nourishing and eco-friendly vegetable broth made from assorted vegetable scraps, simmered with herbs and spices for a flavorful, comforting meal. This simple soup showcases sustainable cooking by utilizing leftover vegetable parts, enhanced optionally with beans, lentils, or potatoes for extra heartiness.
Ingredients
Vegetable Scraps and Broth Base
- 3 cups assorted clean vegetable scraps (such as carrot peels, onion ends, celery leaves, mushroom stems, leek tops, and 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
- Prepare Scraps: Rinse all vegetable scraps thoroughly to eliminate any dirt or debris, ensuring a clean and fresh base for your soup.
- Sauté Aromatics: In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add crushed garlic and any available onion scraps, sautéing until fragrant, about 2 minutes, to build flavor.
- Add Vegetable Scraps: Add all other vegetable scraps to the pot and stir for 2 to 3 minutes to slightly soften and release their flavors.
- Add Seasonings and Water: Incorporate bay leaf, black peppercorns, dried herbs, sea salt, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat to extract maximum flavor.
- Simmer Soup: Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and let it cook for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking and flavor development.
- Add Optional Ingredients: If using cooked beans, lentils, or diced potatoes/squash, add them to the soup during the last 10 minutes of simmering to heat through without overcooking.
- Finish Soup: Remove soup from heat. Discard bay leaf and any large tough scraps if desired. For a chunky texture, serve as is; alternatively, blend partially or fully with an immersion blender for a smoother consistency.
- Season and Serve: Stir in lemon juice and adjust salt or seasoning as needed. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with chopped fresh parsley, and serve hot for a comforting meal.
Notes
- Use fresh, clean vegetable scraps to ensure the soup is flavorful and safe to consume.
- Feel free to customize the soup with any vegetable scraps you have available, such as bell pepper tops or zucchini ends.
- Adding beans or lentils increases protein content, making the soup more filling.
- The soup can be blended to your preferred consistency for a creamier texture.
- Leftover soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
- Adjust salt and lemon juice to taste for balancing flavors before serving.
