What’s in the Fridge Veggie Soup Base

A huge part of my Easy Real Food Recipes approach is to prepare food in larger batches, then keep portions in my freezer pantry for quick healthy meals in minutes. This veggie soup base not only cleans out the fridge, but makes a beautiful base for many other soup recipes. It also provides vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and is good for immune support.

My Easy Navy Bean and Lean Ground Beef Soup was created using the real foods veggie soup base, then adding pre-cooked ground beef and a half a can of Eden Navy Beans. I always have portions of pre-cooked ground beef in my freezer pantry and cans of wholesome beans in my regular pantry.

THE HEALTHY VERSATILE SOUP INGREDIENTS

Begin by dicing the well cleaned unpeeled carrots. Then dice the celery ribs, including the leaves. I always use the celery leaves because they have nutrients too. Next, chop the spinach into medium-sized pieces. Feel free to add other veggies you have in your fridge, but depending on how much is added, a little more broth might be needed.

After that, add the prepared raw vegetables to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, along with a 1/2 cup of low sodium chicken broth or use vegetable broth if you prefer. I use the broth to sauté the vegetables instead of oil. Sauté and stir until the veggies just begin to soften. Do not overcook, since the soup base will be reheated later when additional ingredients are added.

Now add the extra virgin olive oil, the chopped dried onions, sea salt, garlic powder and ground black pepper to the pan and stir for a couple of minutes. Add the rest of the chicken broth and heat to a brisk simmer, stirring occasionally. I used dried onions and garlic powder in this batch because I didn’t have fresh on hand, so having a well-stocked spice cabinet is important too.

Finally, let the soup cool for a few minutes, then divide it into portions. I cook two servings at a time, so I will divide the base into three portions. A portion can be used immediately or stored in the freezer or fridge for future use. Just add additional ingredients, such as a lean protein, barley, rice, pasta or beans, to make your favorite soup recipes.

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Dianna’s Easy Real Food Recipes Blog