Yesterday morning started out rather wet and dreary so dinner was one of my favorite frugal dinners. Throw-Together Soup is just like it sounds. It’s a savory combination of various delectable edibles from fridge, freezer, and/or pantry.

One of the minor frugal things I do is freeze leftover veggies. When a recipe calls for a certain vegetable fresh or frozen, there always seem to be leftovers. Instead of tossing them out, I combine them in a freezer bag or container to save for the future when a recipe calls for “mixed vegetables” or when I wanna punch up a dish or when I need a quick side dish, I can just grab what I need from my stash!

Last night, I chopped and sautéed half a shallot, three cloves of garlic, a quarter of a sweet onion, and a quarter of a jalapeño in about 3tbsp of butter until it was all fragrant and translucent. I seasoned the vegetables with kosher salt, fresh cracked black pepper, and half a tbsp of Mexican oregano.

To the pot, I added two 8oz jars of homemade chicken broth and stirred to combine. After the ingredients had a chance to mingle a bit, I tossed in some cooked red quinoa along with generous handfuls (about 4c) of frozen mixed veggies and shredded kale. I brought the whole pot to a boil. Once boiling, I covered the pot and reduced heat and simmered for a couple hours. This recipe serves four to six.

The shallot, onion, garlic, and jalapeño add flavor and zip while the quinoa added depth and substance to this heartier vegetable soup. This soup was still healthy, but the heartiness made it satisfying to boot! What are some of your favorite additions to vegetable soup?