Rainy Day Soup

 

 

 

Returned home to Massachusetts from Charlottesville and today, June 6th, it is 46 F and raining.  Cold, rainy weather cancelled the barbecue idea and indicated soup and bread would be a better choice.  Since I always have the ingredients for a soup, I rummaged through the refrigerator and freezer to make a delicious dinner.  Your pantry should include broth (any kind will do), canned beans, flavor mixes and some kind of grain.  Raid your fridge for leftover pasta, veggies or meat.  Add a package of frozen spinach (unthawed) and you have most of what you need to create a delicious soup.

 

Ingredients:

64 ounces of broth

2 cans of beans (lentils, cannelloni, pinto, etc.)

Leftover meat from fridge or freezer (I used one pound of frozen beef which I cut into cubes)

Leftover gravy

1 package of any soup mix (I used a pork gravy mix)

1/2 cup of grated pecorino romano cheese or any Italian hearty cheese

 

Optional ingredients:  (1 whole onion, chopped; 2 to 3 carrots, chopped; celery, chopped)

 

Dump everything into a slow cooker.  Check the flavor after several hours of cooking time and add salt if necessary.  Serve with hearty Italian bread and extra grated cheese.