Leftover Vegetables in a variation of Italian Wedding Soup

Leftover Vegetables in a variation of Italian Wedding Soup

I just arrived back from a wonder weekend attending my nephew’s wedding. I leave in a day for another wedding and then upon arrival back  I am immediately off a day later to Greece.  Therefore, I need to get my vegetables used quickly or I will need to toss them out. 

So I decided to cook a big soup for dinner and freeze the rest by putting it in a zip lock bag and place on my “soup” shelf in the freezer.  Yes a soup shelf.  I love soups of all kinds but I do not like eating the same soup day after day.  So I make a large batch and freeze half (in zip lock bags as they lay flat).  There is always a variety to choose from in the freezer!

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large carrot in small cubes

1 small onion diced small

2 stalks celery diced

3 large mushrooms (or more as this is all I had)

Handful of grape tomatoes halved

1 small jalapeno diced small

1 tablespoon minced garlic (jarred)

2 teaspoons oregano

2 cups Roca (Arugula) roughly chopped

½ cup Orzo

2 quarts beef stock

Salt to taste

15 medium meatballs (Kirkland brand are great from Costco) cut in 1/4ths

1 bay leaf

In the olive oil sauté the carrot, onion, celery and garlic 4-5 minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 40 minutes.  I served it with a salad and a biscuit.

TIPS:

·        I used the leftover vegetables in our refrigerator.  Change your ingredients as to what you have at hand.

·        Substitute  potato for the orzo

·        Omit the hot pepper if you do not like a spicy soup

·        You can sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top of soup when you serve it

·        Substitute spinach for the Arugula (Roca)

 

 

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!