Dinner Bowl #65

 

This is one of the best raid-the-fridge type soups I have ever made. It's based on the recipe for Marry Me Chickpea Soup at Sarah's Vegan Kitchen, but made with what I had on hand.

And on hand, I had half a can of chickpeas, half a can of diced tomatoes, part of a can of coconut milk, half an onion, and a cup of spinach that all needed to be used up. I also had veggie bouillon, carrots, celery, garlic (though only jarred this time, alas), orzo, and a bit of fresh basil (from what is now a very scraggly plant in my window), along with the required seasonings. There were four teaspoons of tomato paste in my freezer, too. So I made the soup, essentially a half recipe of the original using canned tomatoes instead of sun dried tomatoes and spinach instead of kale.

Of course, this is a different soup this way--more tomatoey, less creamy--but it still tasted amazing. If it weren't too warm for it, I would have made some corn muffins to go with this. Instead, I had saltine crackers--which I have had in my cupboard for far too long anyway and probably should go on the "pantry utilization" list.

As I made this, I thought about how I'm reshaping my habits again. Although left to my own devices, without the obligations of a job and various other things, I'd likely go to grocery stores much more frequently, spreading the trips out has been very good for me and for my budget. So I'm finding ways to make truly amazing meals with the dregs I have around, and for that, I'm very grateful.