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).

Chicken soup is one of those classic childhood dishes we never grow out of as adults. It comforts us when we are sick, warms us when we are cold, and satisfies us when we are hungry (even if there is no other food in the kitchen). Most of us, though, tend to make chicken noodle soup from a can. For Soupified, I wanted to present some options for making chicken soup, both traditional and modern/global takes on a classic.

One of the first recipes I posted for Soupified was Asian Chicken Noodle Soup. This soup uses lemongrass, ginger, red pepper flakes, and green onions to take chicken noodles from ordinary to extraordinary.

MyRecipes.com has joined the game with the featured article Heart Warming Chicken Soup, which features recipes for Classic Chicken Soup, Thai Shrimp and Chicken Soup, Southwestern Chicken Soup, Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, and more. “Nourish your soul with these chicken soup recipes that cure colds, mend broken hearts, and erase bad days.”

Is chicken soup really that magical? We have already talked about the Power of Campbell’s Soup in times of economic crisis, but could chicken soup be thrifty enough to hold the answers to all that ails us? 

Even if you don’t think you can make chicken soup from scratch, I encourage you to try. If it helps, I also encourage you to cheat with pre-chopped vegetables, pre-cooked chicken (rotisserie works great) or any other short cuts that will get you in the kitchen and trying new things. Try taking a step outside of the can, you might like what you find!

Another Soupified recipe, this one has been the favorite since the project began. James and I both enjoyed this simple soup, packed full of vegetables and a flavorful broth. With some easy substitutions, this could easily transform into a vegan recipe (swap out vegetable broth for chicken stock and substitute oil for butter).

Caraway seeds do not show up often in my recipes, even though they have a wonderful, anise-like flavor. If you do not have caraway seeds, try using dried basil with a pinch of dried thyme or ground anise seed.

Cauliflower Soup
adapted from Cooking Light

2 tbsp butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large head cauliflower, chopped or broken into florets
3 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 tsp caraway seeds
6 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter in a large stock pot over medium-high heat; add onion with a pinch of salt and saute 4 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Add the cauliflower, potato, carrot, and caraway seeds. Cook 6 minutes or until cauliflower begins to brown, stirring frequently. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in salt and pepper.

Above: Top individual bowls of soup with fresh ground black pepper, if desired.

Soupified is back with a new recipe, a special request from James. He also selected the beer used in this recipe, which was a hefeweizen (German wheat beer). To give this soup a little more body, I added a package of frozen broccoli florets. Bring beer and milk to room temperature before cooking, this will make it easier to bring the soup back to a simmer after adding ingredients. The beer may foam when added to the soup, but will eventually incorporate with the soup.

Pre-shredded cheese can be dry and difficult to melt. Buy a brick of cheese and shred it yourself just before adding to the pan. The cheese will be softer, which is also better for topping hot soup!

Beer Cheese Soup
adapted from Cooking Light

4 1/2 cups less-sodium chicken broth, divided 
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tbsp unsalted butter 
1 medium onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 package (10 oz) broccoli florets, thawed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2 1/2 cups 2% milk
12 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1 (12 oz) can or bottle of beer
freshly ground black pepper (optional) 

Simmer 2 cups of chicken broth with potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cook 15 minutes of until potatoes are tender. Transfer potato mixture to a blender, removing center piece of the blender lid to allow heat to escape. Secure lid on blender and place a clean towel over the opening to avoid spills. Blend until smooth and set aside. 

Over medium heat, melt butter in a large stockpot. Add onion and carrot, saute 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic to pan, cook about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add remaining 2 1/2 cups chicken broth and broccoli, bring to a boil. 

Whisk together flour and milk, then slowing whisk into stockpot. Cook until slightly thickened, about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add potato mixture, shredded cheese, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and salt. Stir to combine. Add beer to pan and bring to a simmer. Cook 15 minutes or until cheese has melted. Garnish with black pepper, if desired. 

Above: Broccoli and carrots add body to the soup, along with some healthy vitamins.

This recipe originally came from Real Simple magazine, though I made a few adjustments. What better to compliment South African wine than with some local cuisine? To be honest, I am not sure how authentic this recipe really is, as African is one global cuisine of which I know the least. This soup, however, is an all-in-one dish of substance: vegetables, protein from peanuts and peanut butter, and grains. The peanut butter ups the calorie content, making it heavier than most soups, but offers a vegan stew that really sticks to your ribs (yes, pun intended).  

The original recipe called for chicken stock, which I substituted with Simple Garlic Broth. Another vegan option would be vegetable stock. Because I used garlic stock, I omitted the garlic in this recipe. If you are using chicken or vegetable stock, also add 1 clove of minced garlic and 1 tbsp of oil to saute. I also used diced tomatoes with basil and oregano for an earthier flavor.

African Peanut Stew
adapted from Real Simple

1 (28 oz) can chopped tomatoes (do not drain)
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
3 large carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
4 cups garlic broth
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup uncooked white rice
6 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

In a large stockpot, combine tomatoes, tomato paste, carrots, peanut butter, broth, vinegar, salt, and cayenne pepper. Whisk together over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Add rice and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Ladle into bowls and top with green onions and peanuts.