LAYERED SOUP

Autumn is right around the corner and it is that time of year where it is cold in the morning and warmer as the afternoon comes around.

It’s a time of year when dressing in layers is needed to fend off the morning cold at the bus stop yet peel off a sweater by lunchtime to accommodate the afternoon sun.

It seems to be the perfect time to also bring up the idea of cooking in layers. Many may be familiar with the “7-layer taco dip” appetizer especially during tailgate season. Lasagna is another table item that is cooked in layers.

Have you ever considered layered soup?

Old Mother Frugal has several varieties of layered soup.

There is the two-layer variety, the three-layer and the four-layer soup.

The two-layer soup consists of a base that starts with water in a pot. Add either cleansed vegetable peels or water with chicken bones brought to a boil and then a low simmer for about 45 minutes or 20 minutes in a pressure cooker. This is the first layer of your soup.

The next layer is a vegetable or vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper, garlic and onion if you have it available, and soup is ready when the vegetables are cooked to taste. Old Mother Frugal likes mushy vegetables, some like them crunchy.

For a three-layer soup, add a starch such as a noodle or rice to the liquid base. If the pantry is bare, Old Mother Frugal recommends the liquid with either the vegetable or the starch, whichever you have on hand in the pantry. If there is a bounty of both, add that third layer to your soup.

A four-layer soup includes meat. This is what could be referred to as “scrappy soup”. Scraps of meat can be used to flavor the soup. It is not a required ingredient. As each layer is added, it becomes optional, depending on the type of food you have on hand in your pantry.

Homemade soup is one of the most economical foods one can make on a tight budget. During the Great Depression, soup sometimes consisted of warmed water and stale bread with salt and pepper for seasoning. Soup had humble beginnings. Depending on your pantry, soup can be as expensive or inexpensive as you need for it to be.

SOUND THE BULGE! Today’s tip: Did you add too much liquid to your mashed potatoes and now they are runny and watery instead of thick and fluffy? Since you’ve gone this far, add additional liquid (milk or water) and rescue your mashed potatoes with cream of potato soup!  Your dinner guests will never know that you accidentally added another course to your dinner.

 

                                              HOMEMADE CHICKEN BROTH
                                                free with chicken carcass

 

 

 

VEGETABLE GUMBO MIX

free with store coupon