If you don’t have a scrap bag in your freezer, what are you even doing with your life? Carrot, onion, and celery peelings and ends, mushroom stems, parsley stems – it all goes in the scrap bag. When it’s full, simmer it for a few hours and voila! Free vegetable stock! Bonus points if you have some chicken bones to throw in there – I get big bags of just chicken bones from my local Asian market, but you can use any random bones from a chicken you have previously had for dinner. Waste not, want not!
Homemade Chicken and Vegetable Scrap Bag Soup
Ingredients:
Scrap bag contents (carrot peelings, onion and celery ends, mushroom stems, parsley stems)
Chicken bones (if available)
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
8 cups water
Instructions:
Prepare the Scrap Bag Stock:
Collect carrot peelings, onion and celery ends, mushroom stems, and parsley stems in your scrap bag in the freezer.
Once the scrap bag is full, transfer its contents to a large pot.
If available, add chicken bones to enhance the flavor. You can use bones from a previous chicken dinner or purchase chicken bones from your local market.
Simmer the Stock:
Fill the pot with 8 cups of water.
Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer.
Allow it to simmer for a few hours (at least 2-3 hours) to extract flavors from the scraps and bones.
Optionally, skim off any impurities that rise to the surface.
Strain the Stock:
After simmering, strain the stock to remove the solid scraps and bones, leaving you with a clear and flavorful broth. Discard the solids.
Prepare the Soup:
In a clean pot, heat a bit of oil or butter over medium heat.
Add diced onion, sliced carrots, sliced celery, and minced garlic. Sauté until the vegetables are softened.
Combine Stock and Vegetables:
Pour the homemade scrap bag stock into the pot with sautéed vegetables.
Add sliced mushrooms, chopped parsley, bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer the Soup:
Allow the soup to simmer for an additional 20-30 minutes to let the flavors meld and the vegetables to become tender.
Serve:
Remove the bay leaf before serving.
Ladle the homemade chicken and vegetable scrap bag soup into bowls.
Garnish with additional fresh parsley if desired.
Enjoy a delicious, homemade soup that maximizes the use of kitchen scraps while minimizing food waste!
