I pin the deliciously fancy and complicated soup recipes with weird ingredients and high hopes for the future, but there they remain, in digital lockdown. Sometimes you just need something a little more simple, amen? Since I don’t do chicken fingers and fries from the frozen food aisle anymore, I was grateful to put this little concoction together one day.
Simple + nourishing + quick = perfection for those seasons or days where everything seems to be in chaotic disarray around you. Don’t we all just need a little break every now and then? A homemade – from scratch, nonetheless – soup that simmers on the stove, wafting a warm aroma over to your busy little nose is a beautiful and merciful thing.
I was recently in one of those nutty seasons (okay, who am I kidding – we’re knee-deep in Crazy Town days around here) and whipped up this soup for lunch one day.
I was craving a homemade turkey stew, but didn’t feel I had the time or energy that day to stand in the kitchen for an hour, chopping and dicing and so forth.
Then… it occurred to me: I have my homemade bone broth, frozen in the most convenient possible way, and could probably have soup ready in just a few minutes.
I’m actually recovering right now from a severe case of antibiotic-resistant strep throat, and I am certain that this “recipe” will be going on my menu plan for next week! Perfect timing.
I got out my broth and threw it in a pot with some water and turned on the burner. Throw in half a cup of lentils and half a cup of rice, get them to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Toss in some dried herbs. I used dried onion flakes, summer savory, and marjoram. And of course some good sea salt – homemade bone broth is very bland until you add enough salt. Add veggies of your choice – I tossed in some frozen veggie bean/carrot mix.
Wait until rice and lentils are cooked – maybe 10-12 minutes. The frozen veg will be cooked, the seasonings will have mixed and mingled, and the whole thing will fill your belly with warmth.
Boom. Done. Faster than ordering a pizza – can’t beat that! When I used my homemade broth and intentionally skipped the ingredients that required lots of prep – chopping and dicing and peeling and such – the whole process was ridiculously fast!
Even though this is like a total duh and you probably were all already cooking up your little 10-minute soups every day for lunch, I’m calling it a win.
Any little trick that fills my diet with better real food without taking forevvvvvver to make is worthy of a happy dance.
SIOBHAN
I make “leftover soup”. I freze small amounts of leftovers (veggies, rice, pasta, chunked meat etc) and when my leftover container is full, I add it all to some stock and voila, instant soup! It’s alway differnt, so it enever gets old!
Chewing Crayons And Delaware
I love soup. My kids will even eat it! (Yay!)
I’ve never tried adding lentils and I think it’s a brilliant idea. I keep homemade stock in my freezer for times when I want an easier soup. I like the idea of keeping some frozen veg on hand for an even quicker meal.
Red & Honey
Glad to hear I gave you some new ideas!
Anna
I agree with you….soup doesn’t have to be difficult. I usually focus on 5 ingredients. And frozen veggies speed up the process. I would just add to make sure you rinse the lentils and the rice before you throw them in the pot.
Red & Honey
Glad to hear from another fan of quick and easy soup!