Smell has a lot to do with appetite and the amount of food we eat. Years ago a friend of mine caught a terrible cold and lost his sense of smell. He didn’t lose it for a week or so, he lost it for six months. “I didn’t want to eat,” he admitted, “and I had to force myself to.”

The smoky smell of this nutritious soup will attract everyone in the family to the kitchen. But the best thing about this is that it’s mostly made with leftovers. My refrigerator seemed to be stocked with a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Since I wasn’t wasting food, I started taking the boxes of food out of the fridge and the vegetables out of the bin. It was time to make the soup.

Some vegetable soup recipes are tomato based, while others are meat based. Clear and creamy soups are in their own categories. My goal was to make a delicious soup bursting with vegetables and flavor. I started with half a leftover onion. I found some leftover precooked ham and real bacon bits in the meat drawer. It was time to start cooking.

When preparing vegetable soup, it is advisable to cut the vegetables to the same size. This original recipe can also be made in a slow cooker. I wanted soup for lunch, so I made it in a large saucepan. Because I had some ring pasta in the pantry, that’s what I used. You can use any small pasta of your choice. If you have other vegetables on hand, such as zucchini, throw them in the pot.

Whenever you’re making soup, you can also make a big batch and freeze some for future meals.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large celery rib, cut into small pieces

2 peeled carrots, cut into small pieces

1 pound 10-ounce carton unsalted chicken broth

2 cups of water

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen green beans

14.5-ounce can baby tomatoes

1 cup ham, cut into small cubes

1/4 cup precooked Real Bacon Recipe Bits

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup ring paste

METHOD

Pour olive oil into a large soup pot. Sauté the onion, celery, and carrots over medium heat for about three minutes. Add all the other ingredients, except for the pasta. Cover and simmer the soup until the vegetables are tender. Add the pasta, cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve with French bread, crusty rolls, or crackers. Makes about 10 servings.

Copyright 2013 by Harriet Hodgson