Zero Waste Soup Recipe
This soup will help the Earth.
One of the simplest things we can do to make a positive impact is to be mindful of food waste and to do what we can to reduce the amount of food we each waste in our own homes. Every little bit helps!
This is so simple, it doesn’t really even need a recipe. Use this as more of a guideline and change it up to suit your taste and to use what you’ve got on hand. It will be different every time!
The bottom line is to find all those bits of veggies and other foods that are hanging out in the back of your fridge and pantry, and to give them a second life as supporting players that come together to create something that’s beautiful, delicious (and very nourishing!)
This is also a great way to involve your kids. Here are some ideas:
😊 Start a conversation about food waste and brainstorm how you can waste less food in your household.
😊 Give your kids the job of hunting for ingredients that need using up.
😊 Get kids engaged as chefs - have them taste the soup and experiment with tweaking the flavour at the end.
Zero Waste Rainbow Soup
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 carrots, scrubbed and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Hot pepper flakes (a pinch!)
Any assortment of leftover raw or cooked vegetables
Leftover cooked rice, grains, beans or pasta.
2 litres vegetable or chicken stock
1 litre water
Miso paste
Red wine vinegar
Hot pepper sauce
Instructions
Heat up a large soup pot and add the olive oil.
Sauté the onion for 4 minutes, until soft and starting to brown.
Add in the hot pepper flakes, chopped carrots and celery and stir for 2 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes, until it begins to brown and get fragrant.
Add the garlic and oregano and stir for 30 seconds.
Deglaze the pan with the stock and water and stir to release all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add in any hard vegetables (eg. potatoes, squash, turnips, parsnips etc.) and bring the pot to the boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until they’re soft.
Add in any soft vegetables (eg. peppers, green beans, zucchini, greens) and grains and simmer for another 5-7 minutes, until they’re tender.
You can always cook some grains or pasta and add it at this point, or simmer the pasta right in the soup - it will help to thicken it up!
Taste the soup and add miso, red wine vinegar and/or hot sauce until it tastes just right!
* You can also make this in an Instant Pot - just saute as per the instructions, then cook on high pressure for 10 minutes before adding the soft veggies and grains.
Other optional add-ins:
Parmesan rind (before you simmer it), milk, cream or cream cheese at the end, to make it creamy.
This soup is great the way it is, and it’s also fabulous to top with
grated cheese
croutons or crostini (made from toasted stale bread)
breadcrumbs
chopped herbs
a drizzle of herb or spice oil
a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.
Use your imagination - and your leftovers!
I’d love to know if you try this in your house! If you make this soup, please share a photo and tag us @rainbowplate and #myrainbowplate
Happy Cooking! 🌈 🌎