“Everything But the Kitchen Sink” Soup Recipe

By Tess Monks, Botany Hall Kitchen Manager

Tess Monks, Botany Hall ktichen manager at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens shares her recipe for a quick and easy "Everything But the Kitchen Sink" soup that you can make with many ingredients already in your kitchen or pantry! This dish is highly customizeable, simple to create and delicious in flavor. Test out your kitchen skills and create your own variation of this recipe! 

Step 1:

• Start your base: In a large pot, dutch oven, etc. heat olive oil over medium high heat until shimmering, add garlic, lower heat and simmer until fragrant – about 30 seconds
  • Optional: add fresh minced garlic or garlic powder – I used extra virgin olive oil and fresh minced garlic
• PRO TIP: instead of smashing open cloves of garlic with the blade of a knife, use a glass jar like a mason jar for smashing, safety first!
  
  

Step 2:

• Add onion. Cook in oil with garlic until sweating, onions will continue to cook in soup
• You can add any type of onion (I used white), here are a few examples:
  • white
  • red
  • yellow
  • sweet
  • green
  • leeks
  • shallots
• PRO TIP: watch a quick online video on the proper way to cut an onion like this one to minimize waste!
  
  

Step 3:

• Add 3 – 5 tablespoons of herbs and spices – I used about 1 tablespoon dried parsley, oregano, basil, ½ tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon celery salt, 1 teaspoon whole black pepper, garlic cloves
  • Some popular herbs and spices include: thyme, parsley, oregano, basil, ginger, celery salt, bouillon cube, pepper, rosemary, crushed red pepper flakes, bay leaves, black pepper corn, cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, garlic salt, lemon zest, hot sauce (the possibilities are endless!)
• PRO TIP: choose flavors that stand out against each other for more complex flavor
  
  
   

Step 4:

• Add 6 – 10 cups of veggies – I used 2 parts spinach (cut into ribbons), 2 parts broccoli and 2 parts cauliflower (chopped), 1 part carrots (shredded)
  • Options for hearty vegetables: carrot, celery, potato, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, squash, peppers, rutabaga, turnip, mushrooms, parsnip, corn, peas, jalapeno, green beans
  • Options for leafy green vegetables: chard, kale, turnip greens, escarole, endive, collards, spinach
• PRO TIP: take an inventory of your produce drawer, use anything that’s about to go bad to avoid waste, and use a variety of cuts to add texture
  
  

Step 5:

• Add your protein of choice – I used 1 can of pinto beans
• Meat Options: shredded chicken, cubed ham, leftover turkey
• Vegetarian Options: black beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, navy beans, lentils, quinoa, tofu
• PRO TIP: if you’re trying to introduce more plant based proteins into your diet, this is a great place to start, for example - beans are really filling and full of fiber and make for a hearty soup
  
  

Step 6:

• Add 10 – 12 cups broth – I used 6 cups water and 6 cups stock
• Some options for broth include: water, stock and tomato juice
• PRO TIP: Keep a container in your freezer to throw vegetable scraps into when you’re cooking; when the container is full, make vegetable stock to have on hand
  
  

Step 7:

• Add carbs according to package – I used 1 box of bow tie pasta
• Some options for carbs include: pasta, rice, lentils, quinoa, farro, barley, crusty bread, croutons and biscuits
• PRO TIP: don’t be afraid of carbs, they are not your enemy! We use carbs as energy, think about how much energy you’ll be using after this meal
  
  

Step 8:

• Add density! You can do this by:
  • Blending 1 – 2 cups of finished soup in blender, liquefy and adding it back to the soup. Blend more soup for thicker result – this is a great way to add density without adding fat
  • Adding sour cream or another cream
  • Adding liquid from a can of unrinsed beans to thicken soup

Step 9:

• Add character! You can do this by adding:
  • a dash of vinegar
  • a dash of dry wine (red or white)
  • jalapenos (pickled or fresh)
  • soy sauce or fish sauce
  • lemon juice
  • siracha
  • cilantro
  • hot sauce