scratch-made soup stock – Twice as Tasty

I’m all about easy meals as the year winds down. It’s one of many reasons to freeze, can, dehydrate, and dry-store homegrown or locally sourced vegetables when the garden produces more than you can eat fresh. Instead of needing to go to the store, you can “shop” in your freezer and cupboards, as I explain this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon.

The soup recipe I share uses frozen vegetables that you can put directly in the pot, without thawing them first. I do thaw the Homemade Vegetable Stock that provides a flavor base, because then the soup is ready faster and has a more consistent texture. Some of my favorite flavor upgrades include dehydrated Home-Smoked Chili Peppers in place of the paprika and Cold-Smoked Cheese for the finishing touch. If you’re just learning how to store in-season produce, make this soup with fresh ingredients now and you’ll have plenty of inspiration to preserve in-season produce when the garden and farmers’ markets are in full swing.
Learn to make Broccoli, Tomato, and Pasta Soup

Broccoli and cheese soup has long been a staple on my fall and winter menu, but my recipe has evolved over the years. The first version I learned from my mom; besides fresh broccoli and sharp Cheddar cheese, it was simply seasoned with a bit of oregano. Once I began making it in my own kitchen, I jazzed it up (as Mom would say) with extra-sharp Cheddar and a little mustard and lemon juice, and when I began to successfully grow broccoli in my own garden, I created a freezer-based version of the jazzed-up recipe. Once I fell for grilled broccoli, I began grilling instead of steam-blanching it for even more flavor in the soup pot.

My latest rendition of a broccoli and cheese soup, which I share this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon, returns to fresh, lightly sautéed vegetables for just a touch of the roasted flavor. This is the way I make the soup with the last of the season’s broccoli, and it’s my preferred recipe for fresh store-bought broccoli. I’ve made one more ingredient addition, potato, for a thicker, chowder-like texture.
Learn to make Fresh Broccoli and Cheddar Soup