Tonight we’re having “Freezer Soup” for dinner. But don’t tell anyone in my family – they think we’re having “Mom’s Homemade Vegetable Soup.”
The two are similar except for one key difference – “Freezer Soup” allows me to grab real food ingredients I’ve been saving in my freezer for several weeks, add a few things from my refrigerator and pantry, and throw everything into the Crockpot – which does all the work while I go about my busy day.
Here’s the trick that sets me up to make this soup quickly, easily and cheaply – I collect small bits of leftover beef, beef broth and vegetables in the freezer over several weeks. (I also collect leftover chicken and broth for chicken soup.)
Sometimes when I’m chopping vegetables, I’ll chop extra and throw it in the freezer for soup. Once I’ve accumulated a small stash, it’s time to make Freezer Soup. I pull everything out of the freezer before going to bed and put it in the refrigerator; in the morning, it’s thawed and ready for the Crockpot.
Here’s what went into today’s soup:
- From the freezer – half a grilled steak (cut up), leftover Spicy Italian beef and broth, beef stock, frozen mixed vegetables, part of a bag of shredded cabbage
- From the refrigerator – baby carrots and chopped celery and onion I prepped earlier in the week
- From the pantry – canned diced tomatoes, beef broth
This soup will be yummy tonight (with some homemade cornbread!) and even better for lunch tomorrow. It’s one of my favorite strategies for serving my family real food without blowing up my grocery budget.
Do you have a favorite trick for eating real food while managing your time and money? Please share it in the Comments; I would love to hear from you.
Photo credit – © stevem – Fotolia
Kathi says
Great idea, saving little bits of leftovers etc, and I love EASY crockpot meals. Thank you for sharing this at the HomeAcre Hop; I hope you’ll join us again this Thursday.
GC says
Thanks Kathi – I will definitely stop by again on Thursday.
Gaye
Marla says
This is really a great idea! Love food in the crock pot – it is always so tasty. Visiting from Read Food Friday! Thanks for sharing!
GC says
Thanks Marla!
Gaye
Nicole Burkholder says
I’m featuring this on my page tomorrow for this week’s Let’s Get Real link party! Thanks again!
GC says
Thanks so much, Nicole!
Gaye
Lizy @ http://justdipitinchocolate.blogspot.com/ says
That is my kind of recipe! The grab it and crock pot it method is the best way of creating a delicious meal and make everybody happy, including you! Thanks for sharing GC! Looks very tasty!
have a great week, Lizy your party co hsot
GC says
Thanks Lizy! It’s definitely my kind of meal too!
Gaye
Andi Gleeson (The Weary Chef) says
I love this idea! I probably end up wasting a lot of food when there’s just a little leftover hear and there. This is a great way to use it all up! Thanks so much for linking up at Saturday Night Fever. I’m glad to meet you 🙂
Amber Day Hicks says
delish!!! awesome. Thank you, great idea.
Nicole Burkholder says
I do hate throwing out a small plate or bowl of veggies because they are always awful reheated and no one will eat them. This is a great solution! The leftovers are never enough for a meal, but if you just keep tossing them in freezer bags, one day that’s going to be a handy weeknight meal! I have a cornbread casserole that I love to serve with chili and it would be awesome with Freezer soup! Thanks for linking up to Let’s Get Real again!
GC says
Thanks Nicole! I cannot stand to throw away good food either! So this soup makes me happy in lots of ways!
Gaye
jugglingrealfoodandreallife says
I am so in the mood for vegetable soup now. Thanks so much for sharing this with our Let’s Get Real readers. This is exactly the plan of attack that I like to use to make sure to get Real Food to the table. Everyone talks about the waste that comes with eating Real Food. This is a perfect solution. I like to plan to have leftovers and different ways to use them. My leftovers are very intentional. It’s such a great use of time to chop once and be ready to go for several meals.
GC says
You know I thought of you when I was writing this post! It just sounded like something you would do!
“My leftovers are very intentional.” I love that! Mine are too – they are one of the things that help me maintain my sanity!
Gaye
Helen @lovelyandloving says
Gaye this is such a good idea! I love this as right before my big weekly grocery shop I’m low on food, but still want something nice for dinner. Pinning this.
GC says
Thanks so much, Helen!
Gaye
janita says
Where can I find your recipes? On the Spicy Italian beef post I see you list them by number . Thank you. Janita
GC says
Hi Janita – Oh, I know that my recipes on the blog aren’t organized! That is one of the things I keep meaning to do. Here is the link to the Spicy Italian Beef Recipe – https://calmhealthysexy.com/calmhealthysexy-cooks-spicy-italian-beef/ And you may also like Tex-Mex Shredded Beef – https://calmhealthysexy.com/calmhealthysexy-cooks-tex-mex-shredded-beef/ Very soon I will update my Recipes page, with links to all of my recipes.
Thanks.
Gaye
Trinity says
Wow! This is such a great idea. I love making homemade soup, but I don’t always enjoy the prep work. I am definitely going to start doing this, especially now that the weather will be cooler. I so love a good bowl of soup. Thanks for sharing! – visiting from Juggling Real Food and Real Life
GC says
Thanks Trinity. Yes, it is so much easier if all or most of the prep work is already done!
Gaye