The Frugal Foodie Cookbook (8 page)

Get-Well Soup

price
$8
servings
8
price per serving
$1

W
hen everyone we know gets sick in the fall, we make a huge pot of this soup and invite all of them over for some much-needed nourishment. Those who make it over usually feel better after a bowl or two. We’re partial to the cute shape of pastina, but substitute whatever pasta shape makes you feel happiest.

1 whole chicken, cut into parts

1 large potato, quartered and peeled

2 medium onions, quartered

2 carrots, cut into chunks

2 stalks celery with greens, quartered

1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 14-ounce can stewed tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 teaspoons salt

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound pastina, or other small pasta

Place chicken, vegetables, and tomato paste in large stock pot; fill pot with water. Add 2 teaspoons salt; cook over high heat. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 2 hours. Use slotted spoon to remove large chicken and vegetable pieces; pour remaining soup through strainer back into the pot. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. In another pot, boil water to cook pastina according to package instructions. If you like, cut up potato, carrot, or other cooked vegetables to add back into soup. Spoon broth into bowls, add pastina and cut up vegetables, and serve hot. Add slices of the chicken back into the soup, or reserve for a chicken salad.

Italian Escarole and White Bean Soup

price
$15
servings
5
price per serving
$3

T
his is a recipe to whip out on a cool weeknight during the fall. While soups have a reputation for taking forever to prepare, recipes like this one come together incredibly quickly, and the result is a tasty and robust evening dish. Add a strong dose of cayenne and Parmesan for a soup with sharper flavor.

½ cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 14-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed

2 bunches escarole, steamed and chopped

5 cups chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Cayenne pepper to taste

½ pound small macaroni, cooked

Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Heat oil in a large saucepan; sauté garlic 1 minute. Stir in beans, escarole, and stock. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Simmer 5–10 minutes; add macaroni. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Leftover Chicken Stock

price
$10
servings
10
price per serving
$1

T
here are infinite ways to concoct a stock, but this is the one we turn to whenever we’ve just baked and polished off a chicken. The leftover parts go straight to the pot with vegetables for a fragrant and flavorful stock that we freeze for later.

1 chicken carcass from a baked chicken

8–12 cups water

2 medium onions, quartered

4 carrots, quartered

4 celery stalks, quartered

2 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage, etc.) wrapped and tied in cheesecloth

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Chop chicken carcass into 3"–4" pieces. Put in a large stockpot; add water, onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Bring to a boil; immediately reduce to a simmer. Skim off fat and foam from surface. Add herbs, bay leaves, and salt and pepper; simmer on low 1 hour. With slotted spoon, remove chicken parts and vegetables. Filter remaining broth through cheesecloth-lined colander into new pot. Use immediately, or freeze for later use.

Miso Soup

price
$8
servings
4
price per serving
$2

M
iso soup is among the simplest, healthiest soups in existence. Though it’s known as a Japanese restaurant staple, it’s so cheap and easy to make there’s no reason it shouldn’t be featured regularly at home as well. Alanna’s brother drinks a cup of it like tea every night, and we love to serve it for lunch along with a simple green salad.

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

2 cups shitake mushrooms, sliced

5 cups hot water (or dashi stock)

3–5 tablespoons miso paste (to taste)

1 block firm tofu, cut into ¼" cubes

¼ cup green onion, chopped

In a medium bowl, toss ginger and mushrooms with ½ cup water or stock. Steam mushroom mixture in a small pot by bringing to a simmer for 2 minutes. Dissolve miso paste in ½ cup hot water or stock. In a medium pot, combine remaining water or stock, miso mixture, steamed mushrooms, and tofu cubes. Gently simmer about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with green onion before serving.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

price
$18
servings
6
price per serving
$3

F
or a soup with so few ingredients, this one is unbelievably tasty and impressive. Roasting the peppers first creates a sweet, smoky flavor that is complemented beautifully by the subtle tartness and creaminess of the goat cheese. Assembling the croutons and goat cheese bits in the center of the brightly colored soup makes for a stunning presentation.

6 large red bell peppers

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

5 cups chicken stock

teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

3 ounces goat cheese

CROUTONS:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tablespoon rosemary, minced

1½ cups French bread, cut into ½" cubes

Preheat broiler to high. Rub peppers with 1 tablespoon olive oil; arrange on baking sheet. Broil until blackened on all sides, about 20 minutes, turning every 4–5 minutes. Remove and allow to cool in closed paper bag 10 minutes. Peel, seed, and cut peppers into ½" pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large pot; sauté onion until brown on edges, about 6 minutes. Add peppers; sauté 1 minute. Add stock; bring to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly first, then in batches, transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Mix in red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. For croutons, preheat oven to 400°F. Combine oil, salt, garlic, and rosemary in a bowl and toss mixture with bread until well coated. Arrange on baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes, until croutons begin to brown. Spoon warm soup into bowls, top with croutons, and top with goat cheese.

Roasted Veggie Gazpacho

price
$12
servings
6
price per serving
$2

W
e used to think we loved gazpacho, until we tasted this roasted vegetable version and realized what a love for gazpacho can truly be. With this hot (but still refreshing) version, gazpacho becomes more than a summer soup, since you can roast vegetables year-round. And if you do decide to make this during the summer when the vegetables are in peak season, consider grilling them instead of roasting them.

1 medium tomato, sliced into 1" rounds

2 medium red peppers, halved, seeds removed

2 medium green peppers, halved, seeds removed

1 small eggplant, sliced into ½" rounds

1 small onion, sliced into 1" rounds

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

4 slices bread, Italian or French

3 garlic cloves

8 cups tomato juice

½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Juice of 2 lemons

Basil leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss tomato, peppers, eggplant, and onion with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper; arrange in a roasting pan and cook 20–25 minutes, until soft and lightly charred. Let vegetables cool and cut into very small pieces. Combine bread and garlic in food processor; pulse until combined. Put bread mixture in large bowl; whisk in tomato juice, Tabasco, and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and add lemon juice. Serve in soup bowls and garnish with basil leaves.

Rustic Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup

price
$16
servings
4
price per serving
$4

T
his is Alanna’s great-grandmother’s recipe for a delicious rustic cabbage soup with eastern European flavors that we love during all seasons. It’s also embarrassingly easy to prepare—throw the ingredients in a large pot and wait. The only difficult part is resisting the temptation to dig in as soon as the aroma of this homey, familiar soup starts wafting through the house.

1 onion, chopped

1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 small head cabbage, thinly sliced

16 ounces sauerkraut

½ cup brown sugar

4 beef bones (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Fill the tomato cans with water, and add to the pot; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2 hours. Adjust seasonings and add more sugar, if needed. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.

Thai Curry Noodle Soup

price
$24
servings
6
price per serving
$4

T
his is a dish we’ll have for dinner, then want for dessert again a few hours later. The fact that it’s creamy and a bit sweet has something to do with it, but we mostly love the way the thick coconut flavor seeps into all of the vegetables.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 chicken breasts, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons yellow curry paste

1" piece ginger, grated

2 carrots, thinly sliced

1 cup shitake mushrooms, sliced

4 cups coconut milk

4 cups chicken stock

Juice of 1 lime

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

4 ounces rice noodles

1 head broccoli, cut into small florets

Bean sprouts for garnish

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté until just browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in curry paste and ginger. Add carrots and mushrooms; continue to cook another 2 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, stock, lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer; cook 15 minutes. Add noodles and broccoli; cook 5 more minutes, until noodles have softened. Ladle into bowls, top with bean sprouts, and serve hot.

Shitake-Soy Barley Soup

price
$12
servings
4
price per serving
$3

T
his is not the most beautiful soup in the pot, but it’s doable in about an hour, and it still retains the wholesome flavor we love. The shitakes and soy sauce lend an interesting note and complement the other ingredients without overwhelming. Serve alongside dinner rolls or a simple salad.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

5 carrots, sliced into ¼" pieces

¾ pound button mushrooms, sliced

1 cup barley

1 cup dried shitake mushrooms, soaked in 2 cups hot water (reserve 1 cup of water)

6 cups chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Soy sauce to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onions, carrots, and button mushrooms; sauté until soft. Add barley; sauté 5 minutes. Add shitake mushrooms, chicken broth, and 1 cup water from soaking mushrooms. Bring to boil; lower heat and simmer 45 minutes. Add splash of soy sauce, if you like, and serve.