To celebrate the beginning of Frugal Nation and the end of Soupified, I bring you a bowl of tasty soup made with some basic ingredients from the pantry and vegetable drawer. These simple ingredients create a delicious and satisfying soup for a small amount of money. The earthy flavor of parsnips balances the sweetness of the potatoes, along with fresh ginger for a subtle warmth to the soup.

I purchased canned chicken broth, but homemade would certainly work just as well. With making soup, I find butter and chicken stock add a richness that olive oil and vegetable broth cannot. This does not mean you could not make this a vegetarian soup, but it changes the flavor. Vegetable stock, if not homemade, can also be much more expensive than chicken broth.

This soup could also be blended, but I personally do not prefer pureed soups. If you want to puree the soup, place in a blender in batches after the final step below. Be sure to remove the center cap of the top to allow steam to escape (hot liquids will expand).

Sweet Potato & Parsnip Soup

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, diced
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 parsnips, peeled and diced
2 tsp dried basil
6 cups chicken broth or stock
fresh ground black pepper

Melt butter in a large stockpot. Add onions and a small amount of salt. Saute for 3-5 minutes until softened. Add ginger and saute for 30 seconds or until very fragrant. Add parsnips, sweet potatoes, and basil. Cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables begin to turn golden brown.

Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender when pierced by a fork, about 25 minutes. Add peppper to taste.

Frugal Breakdown:
butter: negligible
onion: $0.50
fresh ginger: $0.19
3 large sweet potatoes: $2.98
3 parsnips: $1.50
dried basil: negligible
6 cups chicken broth or stock: $2.09
fresh ground black pepper: negligible

TOTAL: $7.26

Servings: 6
Price per Serving: $1.21

Verdict: Success! With some money leftover for some nice bread on the side.

While the cost is specific to the ingredients I used, you could also substitute other vegetables in this soup. Celery would be a good replacement for parsnips, or another root vegetable such as turnips. Carrots might be a little too sweet along with the sweet potatoes, but a hardy winter squash could substitute for sweet potatoes (such as butternut or acorn).

Frugality has recently become a trend, even a buzzword, in this brave new world of economic hardship. Many people are feeling the burden of bills piling up with little relief in sight. When times get tough, we start stripping down to the bare essentials: heat, shelter, clothing, food.

Or do we? Some Americans are claiming to be tightening their belts, but the constant lines at Starbucks and the mall beg to differ. In some circles, frugality is a dirty word. Synonymous with cheap, the word can make some people’s skin crawl. Folks want to save money, but they do not want to be seen as poor (probably because of the harsh and unfair stereotypes associated with poverty: stupid, lazy, filthy, etc).

Above: Savvy penny-saver or tightwad penny-scrimper? You decide.

Some of us, however, have no problem with the words cheap or frugal. Some view frugality as a lifestyle, a creative challenge, even a form of art. Let’s be honest, there is no bad time to be frugal, only good times and better times. Now would be one of the better times.

Which leads me to my latest project: Frugal Nation. For this (mis)adventure, I am searching for ways to create meals for under $10 (to see how I picked this amount, see my post on Bitter/Sweet). The point of this project is not just to save money, though that is one of the key objectives. The goal is to maintain a diverse diet at a reasonable price, to enjoy cooking and food while cutting back on costs, and to find innovative ways to use pantry items, leftovers, and inexpensive items to produce quality meals.

For each recipe, I will breakdown the cost per meal (or per serving, if applicable).  I will use the price sticker, if available, or make a best estimate for those items I already own. Here are a few price guidelines:

• Items where a small amount of a large package is used, such as salt, pepper, olive oil, or garlic, will be listed as a “negligible” cost unless a large quantity is required for the recipe.
• Spices and dried herbs will also be listed as “negligible” cost, unless a large quantity is used (more than 1 tbsp). After being a home cook for over two years, I found that I already have most herbs and spices on hand, and I am going to assume most other home cooks have a similarly stocked pantry.
• Prices will be listed in a “per use” quantity, not the price of the total package unless the entire package is required.
• Sale and markdown items will be marked as such, with the original price if available.

This special project will include recipes, lessons or quickies, and my personal narratives. I hope to explore various global cuisines as well as popular American dishes. Not every meal will be a success, so in that case I will try to determine what went wrong and how to adjust the recipe to make it follow the project guidelines. 

Please join me on this journey into the land of Frugal Nation!