Saturday Soup

What to eat when your fridge is filled with nothing but bits of leftovers? Saturday Soup! It's my family's proven forumula for using up lots of bits of leftovers. It's rarely pretty but it's usually surprisingly tasty – and best of all, food waste drops to nil.

Thanksgiving leftovers are the best! But if a week’s gone by and your fridge still holds turkey bounty, chances are, everyone’s ready to move on.

SATURDAY SOUP is a terrific way to use up leftovers all year round. Make it regularly and you’ll find yourself saving tiny bites of leftovers (sometimes in a designated container in the fridge or freezer) that might otherwise go to waste.

As a kid, we threw a batch together for Saturday lunch, cleaning out the fridge before Mom headed to the store to pick up the next week’s groceries. Because the leftovers changed every week, two pots rarely tasted the same, except for being both reliably delicious and completely unrepeatable!

ALANNA's TIPS Bacon meat itself is optional but bacon fat seems to meld all the flavors. Add only enough leftovers as needed for the next meal because leftover Saturday Soup is strictly forbidden! Experiment! Memorable batches have included fruit cocktail and applesauce; one great potful used up leftover sauerkraut and sausage.

SATURDAY SOUP

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 15 – 20 minutes
Serves: You Decide

• 2 slices bacon, chopped, or about 1 tablespoon bacon fat
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup liquid – skim milk, chicken broth, tomato juice, broth from cubes, etc, heated in microwave
• Leftover meat, chopped
• Leftover vegetables, chopped
• Leftover pasta, rice, fried or mashed potatoes, etc.
• Leftover fruit, chutney, etc.
• Salt, pepper, hot sauce, etc.

Sauté the bacon, onion and garlic until soft. Stir in the flour and combine well. Slowly add the hot liquid, stirring to avoid lumps. Add leftover meat, vegetables, starches and other leftovers. Stir until hot, about 5 – 10 minutes since the ingredients are already fully cooked.

Add more liquid as needed for volume and to keep soupy. If you’re short on leftover vegetables, add a can or two. Limit the starches; a little is a lot. Once the soup is hot, taste it and add salt and pepper. If the soup tastes flat, add more garlic, Tabasco or other spices.

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Saturday Soup is rarely pretty but it is often surprisingly tasty. This batch used up some leftover pulled pork, leftover cooked turkey, leftover Plant Sale Soup and a few shriveled grapes.

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Do you have a favorite technique for using up leftover that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com.

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How Do You use Up Leftovers?

Too often, leftovers just languish in the fridge, then we throw them away. So if you've got a tip for how to successfully manage leftovers, share it with other Kitchen Parade readers in the comments. I'd love to know your ideas!

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