“Cook on the stove till you can smash the potatoes, add a block of cream cheese, and wait for that to melt/mix in. Top with cheese, bacon, chives, whatever. It’s so filling and makes a ton of soup for a pretty small budget.” —Becca, California —caaklemm —ramblingflowers “Rotisserie chickens cost $5 at Costco. If you don’t have a membership, ask a friend to take you. We can make one chicken into five meals for two people, plus use the scraps from the bone broth to chop up for our dog: 1) Sliced rotisserie chicken, 2) chicken panini with pesto and mozzarella, 3) chicken salad, 4) chicken stir-fry, and 5) chicken soup.” —judithf46009c74f —svenskaspark 1–2 onions 3–4 carrots Olive oil As much garlic as your heart desires 1 can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes Spices — salt, pepper, basil, oregano, parsley, red pepper flakes (optional) — all to your taste Water Any vegetable or chicken broth/stock you have — whatever you like! 2 zucchini 1 can cannellini or white beans 1 can kidney beans “Sauté onion and chopped carrots in olive oil; add garlic. Cook a bit. Add can of tomatoes and spices. “Add water and broth (about 3 cups of each). Simmer and smash the tomatoes. Add chopped zucchini and drained beans. “Simmer on low for as long as you want, honestly. I do about 45 minutes. I add the rind of Parmesan in it too when I add the tomatoes. “Then I let it cool and put it in glass containers to freeze! I also add some small pasta and put some fresh Parmesan on top and some broiled garlic bread.” —pandabear14 “I just made one yesterday, as I had shallot, spinach, and peppers left over. Sautéed, added eight eggs and cream, sprinkled feta and mozzarella, and threw it in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or so. Garnished with Kalamata olives and parsley.” —StephieVee “Strain the stock into a bowl and pick out the chicken with tongs. I’ve always put the veggies/herbs in compost because I don’t know what to do with them. Cool the broth so the fat rises and solidifies to skim off, but save some of the fat. There’s enough of the broth for two or three meals, so save what’s left and freeze. Shred the chicken off the bone and store the bones and skin if you want to make bone broth, and set the meat to the side. “When you’re ready to make the soup, add some chicken fat into a pot — I prefer a cast-iron Dutch oven — and heat on medium or medium high until it’s liquefied again and fragrant, then add flour to create a paste. Cook the roux to a golden brown and add in your stock, stirring as you go. You can use either heavy cream or milk for the creamy texture (heavy cream gives best results). “You don’t HAVE to add frozen peas and carrots, but they’re low-cost and make the meal more filling! Add these in as well as the shredded chicken and cook until the peas and carrots are hot, then season to taste. Make a simple biscuit from a box or from scratch and drop into the pot. Bake at 350 degrees till biscuits are cooked through and golden brown.” —kellyannebender1
