3 Frugal Soups From The Winter Pantry

The winter kitchen is in full swing and that means hearty meals are being crafted from frugal pantry staples. Winter is the time for good food. These are 3 delicious soups I like to whip up throughout the colder months. They are on the frugal side because 2 of the recipes use water instead of broth as well as cheaper cuts of meat. The last soup uses up winter squash that you may still have in storage. These are simple and can easily be tweaked to fit your needs. I hope they warm your kitchen (and your belly) this winter as well!

Ham Hock and Split Pea Soup

This recipe is taken from Country Suppers by Ruth Cousineau with a few of my own revisions.

What you need:

1 cup dried lentils
1 cup dried split peas
1 smoked ham hock
1 cup celery, coarsely chopped
1 cup carrots, coarsely chopped
1 cup onion, coarsely chopped
6 cups of filtered water
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

To make:

The day before, get the lentils and split peas soaking in some water with a form of acidity (yogurt, whey, vinegar, lemon juice, etc). This will break down the anti-nutrients in the legumes, making them easier to digest.
The next day, rinse the lentils and split peas and add them to a large soup pot along with the ham hock, celery, carrots, onion, water, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and thyme leaves.
Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for about 1.5 hours.
Once the soup is done cooking, remove the ham hock and pick the meat off the bone. Discard the bayleaf and add the meat back in. Serve and enjoy!

Chicken and Sourdough Dumplings

This is my great grandmother’s recipe, but I have made one small tweak to make the dumplings sourdough so that they are easier to digest and richer in flavor.

What you need:

For the dumplings:

1 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of bubbly, active starter
3 eggs
5 tablespoons of water
Pinch of sea salt

For the soup:

1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons of butter or oil
1 pound of bone-in chicken
Sea salt
Black pepper
Filtered water
Ketchup

To make:

Begin the morning of by combining the dumpling ingredients until a thick batter forms. Cover with a lid and allow to ferment on the counter until dinner time.
When you’re ready to make the soup, brown the onion in butter or oil. Add in the bone-in chicken, salt, pepper, and just enough water to cover everything. Then, add in a generous amount of ketchup (about 1/4 cup). It sounds weird, but this is where the flavor comes from!
Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, turn the heat down and allow to simmer for 1.5 hours
After the soup has simmered, remove the chicken and add in the dumpling mixture by the spoonful. Once they are all in, cover the pot with a lid and cook on medium heat for 12 minutes. Do not remove the lid during this time.
While the dumplings are cooking, remove the chicken from the bone and then add it back in to the soup before you’re ready to serve. (Reserve the bones for future broth making). Enjoy!