March 25
I used my last package of frozen homemade vegetable soup yesterday. I was tired, short on time and had a very hungry husband to feed so I was extremely glad to find it in the freezer.
The minute our bellies were full I thought about reminding you to make sure you have everything you need in the garden this year to make your homemade soup. You’ll be congratulating yourself on a cold day next winter when you’re tired and don’t have to cook because you thought to freeze some soup.
I make soup in a two gallon pot. We get several bowls of soup from the fresh pot and at least 2 or 3 quarts for freezing. I like to use ziplock quart size freeze bags and fill them to capacity.
If you’re fairly new to soup making you’ll be glad to learn you really don’t need a recipe. Just pick out what you like and put it all together. The variations are endless. Lots of folks always add a soup bone or cubes of beef. Many I’ve talked to use shredded cabbage as one of their vegetables.
Here’s what I use:
Tomatoes and lots of them. I scald them, core and take the peel off and fill pot to a little more than half.
Potatoes – about 2 or 3 big ones cut in small 1/4″ to 1/2″ cubes. As with carrots, I don’t like the potato pieces too big.
Carrots – about 3 big ones cut in smaller cubes than the potatoes. For some reason I think carrots overpower the soup if there are too many or if the pieces are too big.
Green Beans – I love green beans in soup but never seem to have enough since I only use the ones that I didn’t pick in time for fresh eating. (If I don’t have them I leave them out.)
Peas – As with beans I use the ones I missed for fresh eating, usually a cup.
Onion – I use one of the very largest onions or several small ones, roughly chopped.
Parsley – a big handful out of the garden. (You can leave it out or use dried which is not quite as good.)
Thyme – fresh is great; dried works too. About 1 tblsp. (if I have it)
Oregano – dried – How much I use depends on how I feel and if I have any on hand.
Simmer for hours until its soup. (Everything will have that soup taste.)
Tip: Take your soup to be frozen out first (and cool) or you may not have anything left to freeze.
Picture: Tomatoes for my soup. (Sorry there’s no picture of soup. Bill and I ate it before we thought to take a picture.)
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Dumb question but do you add water or just let all the veggies simmer until it becomes soup?
Hi Sheri,
Usually I have so many tomatoes in the pot that they make all the “water” I need. As the soup simmers and cooks down, you may want to add some water if you need more broth. If you do add it, make sure it cooks a bit to blend with the soup, because you still want the broth to taste like soup, not water.
You can’t go too far wrong with anything you do. The more you make soup – the more you’ll get a feel for exactly how you want to make it.
Your question is one that probably quite a few folks had. Thanks for asking.
Good luck with the soup!
Theresa