[JustLovelyJenn]

Originally Posted by Sun

A quick technique that I teach when I do cooking workshops is to have some stock or broth on hand for a soup or sauce on the fly. You can either use stock that is:

1. Boxed and easy to use one portion at a time (if you use canned broth and have extra broth you can freeze it in an ice cube tray, put the frozen cubes in a ziploc bag, and have small portions of stock to use as needed)

2. Frozen stock or broth.

Take some leftover cooked vegetables and add them to the stock or broth in a blender. Season as you go.

Here is an example:

Chicken broth - one can
Cooked broccoli 1/2 cup
Cooked potato 1/2 large or one medium

Blend in blender on medium speed.

Pour into small saucepan. Heat up. Add seasonings.

This is a quick alternative to a canned soup. I usually start a quick soup off with sauteed vegetables like garlic, onions, spinach or whatever I am in the mood for. Often I will make soups that are infused with the flavors of garlic, ginger, jalepeno, soy sauce, using vegetable broth or chicken broth, I fill the soup up with fresh vegetables such as baby bok choi, spinach, collards, chard, whatever greens appeal to me. I may add some chinese cabbage or eggplant. Perhaps some roasted or grilled protein. Splash it with hot sauce before serving. Make some rice to have on the side.

Soups are liquid flavor so it can be fun and educational to experiment with them.

I have never thought of freezing extra broth in an icecube tray, I have no idea why. I usually buy boxed broth to stock in the cupboard... but if someone else does the shopping, theres no telling what I might get. I will have to keep this in mind.