SOUPS ARE GREAT FOR USING UP YOUR LEFT-OVERS

A few nights ago, I entertained some Japanese college students who graduated from our local college.  I wanted to cook a typical American meal for them.  So I grilled outside.  As usual, I cooked what seemed to be enough for the entire graduating class! 

So this is what I had left over:

grilled chicken breasts

grilled salmon

grilled vegetables which consisted of: eggplants, zucchini, summer squash, portabello mushrooms, asparagus, onions

Watercress (tossed some in with my salad)

The following evening, we ate the left-overs just as they were, and it was delicious.

However, it didn't feel all that exciting to repeat it again the following night. So, I made soup.  No name to this soup because it's just a combination of left-overs.  I suppose you could call it LeftOvers Soup?

You can make this soup with any left over meat and vegetables you have.  They don't have to be grilled. But I have to say, the grilled vegetables definitely add to the taste.

So here is the recipe.  By the way, I should mention that all the above ingredients are organic, including salmon .  Yes, organic farm raised salmon; not wild caught which threatens our sustainability. And certainly not plain "farm raised" where the fish are fed 46% chicken pieces, live in pretty much stagnant water with poor filtration, and they have to shoot pink die into them so they look like salmon because these fish have lost their original natural pink coloring. I would encourage everyone to try to purchase these organic farm raised. They are absolutely delicious! But if they are not available where you live, then wild caught is definitely the second best choice.

32 oz chicken or vegetable broth

All the left-over items listed above - all chopped (quantity not specified.

Fresh tomato - chopped

2 T  tomato paste (or more if you'd like)

1 T oregano - dry

1 T basil - dry  (you could use fresh oregano and basil if you prefer)

salt / pepper

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Pour broth into a medium size soup pot and begin heating. Add chopped left-overs and tomato. Stir. Add tomato soup and stir. Taste. Add more as you'd like. Add oregano and basil and salt and pepper. Let it simmer.

You can sprinkle with parmesan cheese just before serving.

Because of the salmon, it tasted almost like New England clam chowder. 

I got 4 healthy servings out of it.