Garbage Soup

In our house we only go food shopping twice a month. I get everything we need for those two weeks and leave a little bit of extra money aside for any staples that we may run out of: milk, bananas, baby puffs, etc. But it seems that a day or two before food shopping we don’t really have much to eat in the house as far as dinner goes. There is always an onion, a few carrots, a few cups of dried beans or a can of tomatoes stashed in the back of the pantry, or something of that nature. So I like to take these opportunities to clean the fridge and make room for the new, yummy goodies.

I got this idea from my grandmother, Hunna. She was always a pro in the kitchen, always cooking up somethin’ tasty. As a child, I can remember making my first shepherd’s pie in her kitchen at the age of seven. Although I hate shepherd’s pie to this day, I will forever have fond memories of Hunna’s kitchen. Her recipe box now sits proudly on my counter top. It’s my tiny box of treasures that I turn to on days that I need inspiration or some good comfort food. Among those recipes, and one of my favorites, is her Garbage Soup.  This was Hunna’s way of making room for her food shopping trip. Here is her recipe:

Hunna’s Garbage Soup

Cook your choice of meat (ham hock, chicken, or other) with bone in 2qts. water with 1 chopped onion and 1 Tbsp. salt. Cook for 2 hours.

Add:

2 cups tomatoes

¼ head chopped cabbage

¼ cup rice or barley

5-6 sliced carrots

2 cups green beans

1 cup diced potatoes

½ cup chopped celery

Fresh parsley to taste

Cook for another hour

Just about once every two weeks I make my own version of Garbage Soup. It’s always different, yet exciting. This is what I came up with today:

1 cup dried navy beans

1 cup dried red kidney beans

1 cup dried garbanzo beans

1 chopped onion

1 chopped green pepper

½ cup sweet fresh corn

1 cup of sliced fresh okra

1 baby butternut squash (de-seeded and chopped)

2 Tbls. leftover taco seasoning

2 Tsp. dried Cumin

Salt and pepper

8-10 cups water

Add everything to your crock pot. Cook on low for about 6-8 hours. Add water if needed through the cooking process for desired thickness.

Serve with fresh bread or tortilla ships and a dollop of sour cream.

Happy cooking!