My Grammie Baker had her own version of chicken tomato rice soup and chicken and dumplings that I always looked forward to eating when I visited with her.
My parents both made a mean fricassee which consisted of cubed beef and pork slow cooked with potatoes and carrots - tasted like a bowl of pot roast soup.
My mom prepared a wonderful chicken tomato vegetable rice soup, as well as that soup diet soup that had lots of cabbage in it (I loved that stuff!).
Along with going back in time and revisiting my childhood, I am here and now, creating new recipes, new memories and traditions to share with my sweet family. There truly is nothing better than seeing them eat the food I prepare for them with delight and gratefulness.
There are times throughout the month that I get pretty busy and I don't make it to the grocery store often enough. Sometimes we just don't get around to eating everything that I had planned for the week and I end up with odds and ends in the fridge that need eating. This is when I take inventory and put together a lovely pot of soup.
This was a short week, so my kids didn't go through their whole bag of baby carrots. I bought some celery a couple weeks ago and forgot about it, so it was sitting there looking a little droopy. I had some kale and zucchini that we weren't going through fast enough, and about 2 cups of chickpeas that were on the brink. I also had a half quart of veggie broth looking at me every time I opened the fridge door. This great collaboration of misfit foods turned into an amazing bowl of nutritious goodness that satisfied the crew and helped the sick one feel better.
In this recipe, I'll tell you everything that I used. It was amazing. But as I always say, please, please, please make it yours! Use your own wilty droopy veggies that are loitering in your veggie crisper (HA!) or go buy some fresh ones, it's all up to you. This meal is budget friendly whether you use what you have or buy everything fresh.
Clean Out the Refrigerator Soup (aka Vegetable Tomato Rice Soup)
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced or 1.5-2 c baby carrots, sliced
2 small-medium zucchini
2-3 ribs celery, sliced
1 small onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2-3 large cloves garlic or 2 t garlic paste
1 T olive oil, omit if oil free
1/2 c white or brown rice (I used white this time due to procrastination. If I had more time, I would have used brown. Both good)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 quart vegetable broth plus 1 quart water
2 c drained and rinsed chickpeas or other beans (1 can will do)
1 bunch kale, ribbed and loosely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
fresh herbs, such as parsley (optional)
To prepare, heat olive oil in the bottom of a heavy bottomed soup pot. If you are oil free, skip this step and heat liquids and add everything the pot or sautee veggies in a small amount of water. Add onions, carrots, celery, and peppers to pot. Cook over medium high, stirring, till onions begin to go translucent. Add zucchini and garlic and rice. Add kale, broth and water, bring to a boil, then reduce to medium, cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and chickpeas. Continue to cook till rice is done, another 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I like to season my personal bowl of soup with some Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning - it's MSG free and has a great spicy flavor that tickles my taste buds.
You can customize the flavor scheme of this soup in a variety of ways. For instance, you can season with chili powder and cumin, or even taco seasoning, garnish with a little cilantro and avocados and you have a Mexican inspired dish. You can throw in some green beans, use white cannellini beans instead of chickpeas, throw in some Italian seasoning, garnish with some parsley and you have a delicious Italian soup. Omit the rice and drop in some dumplings (I love Pamela's Gluten Free Baking mix - makes awesome dumplings), season with poultry seasoning and parsley. best ever vegetarian "chicken and dumplings."
Enjoy, have fun, and believe in yourself!
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