An antidote for a freezing night

It’s another night of the current Arctic blast, with temperatures setting a new low record for this part of the world at this time of year.  I think we need something warm, thick and hearty (apart from me, that is) to get us through the evening.  Hmmm . . . what leftovers do we have in the fridge and freezer, things that really need to get used up within the next day or two?

  • Half a cabbage;
  • 3 onions;
  • A head of celery;
  • Half a tub of 5-day-old leftover rice.

Add:

  • Two cans of Great Northern beans;
  • Two cans of diced tomatoes;
  • A can of baby corn spears;
  • A can of green beans;
  • A sixteen-month-old tub of home-made duck stock from the freezer (about 3 cups);
  • A pound of stir-fry vegetables, ditto;
  • Garlic, onion, and vegetarian stock and seasonings, dissolved into 2 cups of hot water.

Combine the lot, and set to simmer.  The smells are delicious, and the early, as-yet-unseasoned flavor isn’t bad at all, if I do say so myself.  This should be a good antidote to the weather!

Peter

3 comments

  1. @Beans: No meat. This is a hearty vegetable soup. The duck stock gives it a mild undercurrent of meat flavor, but not much at all.

  2. I went the other route. Pulled out two frozen pouches of bean soup (OK but thin). Blended one as a thickener. Addwd a pound of browned stew beef, two finelybdiced potatoes, and four seeded, veined, chopped cayennes (last picking). Simmered for eight hours in the crockpot and got a hot and mildly spicy stew, needed maybe a bit of salt. Made about 3 qts, so plenty for the cold snap.

    Freezer diving can yield some great combinations, usually a good surprise.

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