When I was a kid we ate a lot of soup, probably because it’s a cheap and filling meal. My mother made clam chowder, vegetable soup, chicken noodle soup to name a few. All her soups were made from scratch and painstaking. However, thanks to new products, soup can be a fast food.
For example, I always have a box of salt-free chicken broth on the shelf. I use it for sauces, soups, and stews. Unsalted beef broth is also helpful, although I don’t use it as much as chicken broth. Grocery stores also sell salt-free bouillon cubes and I always keep them on hand. We don’t eat a lot of canned soups, but I always have mushrooms and celery in the pantry.
I recently bought a package of reduced fat and salt hot dogs, and we ate them for lunch. My husband did not like the taste. “These barely have any flavor,” he commented. “What brand are they?” He was correct. The hotdogs had little flavor and were a different brand, one I don’t usually buy.
Fat adds flavor to food. If the manufacturer reduces the fat content, herbs and seasonings can be added for flavor. Some of these items, like the chicken hotdog variety, are really good. But I still had the rest of the hot dogs and wondered what I could do with them.
Since I am a thrifty person, I decided to use them in the soup. It was a good decision. The soup was delicious and my husband enjoyed it. To keep the pasta from overcooking, I cooked it ahead of time and added it to the soup at the last minute. Cooked rice can be substituted for pasta. Puzzled at dinner? Make soup tonight!
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) celery soup (I used the low-fat, low-salt kind)
1 box (32 ounces) salt-free chicken broth
1 pound package of hot dogs (your choice)
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin (or 1/2 if you want more smokiness)
1 cup small precooked pasta (tubes, shells, macaroni)
METHOD
1. For the olive oil in the soup pot. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until soft.
2. Add the celery soup and chicken broth.
3. Cut the sausages into thin slices and add them to the soup.
4. Add all remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer 1 hour, or transfer to display pot, adjust to low heat, and simmer 6 to 8 hours.
5. Uncover soup and add cooked pasta. Heat 10 more minutes.
6. Serve with crackers, breadsticks, or crusty bread. Makes about 8 servings.