Description
A delicious and sustainable soup made from vegetable scraps, packed with flavor and nourishment.
Ingredients
Scale
- 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
- 1 cup cooked beans or lentils (optional)
- 1 cup diced potatoes or diced squash (optional)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for sautéing (optional)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Rinse all vegetable scraps thoroughly to eliminate any dirt or debris.
- In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add crushed garlic and any onion scraps, and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add all other vegetable scraps to the pot and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Incorporate bay leaf, black peppercorns, dried herbs, sea salt, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Cover the pot and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking.
- If desired, add cooked beans, lentils, or diced potatoes in the final 10 minutes of simmering.
- Remove soup from heat. Discard bay leaf and any large, tough scraps if preferred. For a chunky texture, serve as is; for a smoother consistency, blend partially or fully with an immersion blender.
- Stir in lemon juice and adjust salt or seasoning if necessary. Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with chopped fresh parsley, and serve hot.
Notes
- Feel free to customize the soup with other vegetable scraps you have on hand.
- For added protein, include more beans or lentils.
- This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg