Single Serving Soup from a Pan…Not a Can

One of my favorite things to make for lunch, especially with the cold weather being upon us, is a single bowl of veggie soup. This idea came to me a few months ago after reading an article about healthy cooking ideas. One of the suggestions was to saute veggies with vegetable broth rather than oil. I loved this idea and have been doing it ever since. I still use a tiny drizzle of extra virgin olive oil as well, but using the broth significantly cuts back the amount of oil I use when cooking.

You might be thinking that olive oil is a health food and I’m crazy for trying to use less, but really I’m totally sane and just trying to eat smart. I hate to break it to you, but just like a billion other things out there, if not used in moderation, its not good for you! Let’s face it, oil is fat…good fats, bad fats…its all still fat. Yes, olive oil promotes the good cholesterol, so use it, but pay attention to how much you use because if you’re using too much it adds a ton of calories and fat to your diet. I keep my oil in a squeeze bottle, this way I can really control how much is coming out. With the regular olive oil bottle, it is easy to use too much. I highly recommend investing in a squeeze bottle if you don’t already have one!

Anyway, back to this soup idea. I was cooking some veggies in broth and thought, “Hey, how cool would it be to just add more broth and make a bowl of soup?!” No messing with cooking a huge pot, and waiting all day for it to cook. No worrying about having enough mouths in my house to finish all of it or just plain getting sick of eating soup for a week. What a novel concept this single serving soup is! Plus, its super fresh and way better than any can of soup out there. Oh, and did I mention its a great way to use up left overs and random veggies you have on hand? This soup is great for a quick lunch or dinner at home. Or, make it the night before, put it in a tupperware and take it with you to work for lunch 🙂 This post will be more of an idea rather than a solid recipe because honestly, you can put anything you have in your fridge into this dish.

I used: kale, lentils, onions, green beans and carrots with low sodium vegetable stock as my base. I also had some left over tomato sauce so I added a couple tablespoons of that. Garnished with fresh chopped parsley, a small drizzle of olive oil and sriracha.

Keep in mind that you only need a small amount of each item because you’re only making one bowl of soup!

All you need:

1 1/4 cup low sodium vegetable or chicken broth

Any fresh or frozen veggies you have on hand…beans, greens, potatoes, celery, peppers…it doesn’t really matter. I never worry about “flavor” combinations when it comes to vegetables, if you can cook it, it will go in my soup!

Any cooked pasta, rice or grains

If you’re a meat eater- Dice up any cooked chicken, beef, pork, turkey…or other flesh you may have on hand and throw it right in.

Any fresh chopped herbs to throw in when your soup is done really gives it a nice pop of freshness

It doesn’t matter how much or how little you put in your soup, something as simple as rice, carrots, celery and onions would be delicious. Just as bell pepper, chickpeas, spinach, mushrooms and macaroni noodles would be awesome too! Whatever you have on hand…get creative!

I make my soup in a small frying pan. Saute any raw veggies until they are tender. Using a drizzle of olive oil and then add vegetable or chicken stock as needed to prevent sticking. Of course, season with S&P. (A note on using broth: even if it is low sodium, be careful of your salt usage. When it reduces a bit during cooking, it becomes saltier!) Once your veggies are done, throw in any other items you are using. Saute to heat through. Then add about a cup of broth. Bring it to a boil and your soup is done!

Pour your soup in a bowl and garnish with fresh herbs, if using. Add a little drizzle of olive oil for flavor, and/or sriracha for a bit of heat. If you eat dairy try garnishing with some grated parmesan cheese or feta.

© 2011 Jenni Baker