Some of you are going to laugh. Some of you are going to wonder if I’ve lost my mind. Kitchen Sink Soup? That does not sound delicious…
I seriously thought I ought to call this soup something else. Something more…um…appealing? But, for some reason this is what we started calling this pull-everything-out-of-the-refrigerator-and-stick-it-in-a-pot concoction, and well, if I were to name it anything else, I wouldn’t be true to the weirdness that is our family. (Please tell me you have weird names for stuff too!)
The whole idea for Kitchen Sink Soup came about as a result of my needing to revamp homeschool lunches into something SUPER EASY. Next week, I plan to share the full plan with you, but suffice it to say it has been a lifesaver!
So, what is Kitchen Sink Soup? It’s everything but the kitchen sink!
Come on in to my kitchen and see what I mean…
(not seeing the video? Click HERE!)
Kitchen Sink Soup is basically a soup made from your leftovers with a few add-ins to make it extra yummy! Have a little leftover hamburger? Throw it in there! Have a few leftover veggies? Throw them in there! Have a can of beans or black olives? Throw those in there too! Add some broth or milk, some spices and cheese and you have a nutritious homeschool lunch that can simmer on the stove while you teach your little ones.
We have Kitchen Sink Soup a couple times a week to finish off any leftovers we’ve become tired of eating on. I get quite a sense of satisfaction knowing I’m not throwing out leftovers, but reinventing them into something different and yummy!
In the video above, you’ll see how I make the soup, plus a short list of some add-in ideas. You’ll also see me without makeup and my hair pulled up in my usual “mom-has-work-to-do hairdo.” Try throwing together your own Kitchen Sink Soup – actually, why don’t you call it something else so no one will look at you funny the way they do when I tell them what we had for lunch – then, come back here and tell me what you put in it, as I’d love to have some new ideas for my soup!
***Read more about my easy lunch plan!***
Amy says
Growing up, my mother did this every Saturday morning in the winter time and she would make homemade bread to go along with our soup. It was so yummy! I continued to do it when my son was little but I haven’t done it in a while….think I know what we will be having soon! 🙂
Amy says
I like to have homemade bread too, but I try to keep some “fancy” bread on hand in case I don’t get around to it. Something like a loaf of sourdough and French bread is really special.
Jessica says
I can’t wait to see your lunch plan – I really struggle with lunch, especially since I am not usually hungry yet when every one else is. Love the soup idea!
Andrea says
We have a dish we named “Shabobo” pronounced shu – bob – oh. My husband cuts up bacon and fries it in the pan, along with tater tots. Mashes up the tots and gets them crispy. Then adds about a dozen beaten eggs. Our daughter one day was talking and said “you know, all that shabobo” and we loved the word so we found a place to use it. It stuck. And that is our go to dinner when we don’t have anything thawed or we don’t particularly want a huge meal. Shabobo, some toast, big glass of milk – done! A weekend breakfast favorite as well. So Kitchen Sink Soup – we would use that name!
Amy says
Cute!
Melissa says
I love this idea, except my kids are not big soup eaters 🙁 maybe we’ll try it anyway 🙂 and yes, we have strange names here too, the most famous (around our house anyway) is “sticky Cheese” it’s just plain mac’n’cheese, you know elbow noodles with shredded cheese homemade goodness, but when our 10 year old son and his 10 year old cousin were starting to talk they called it sticky cheese and the name . . . stuck if I say we’re having macaroni and cheese the kids all freak out because to them this means boxed and they all prefer homemade 🙂 however my now two year old also calls sticky cheese “racamoni” 🙂 It’s a good thing that as a mom I speak two year old jibberoush (I said speak not spell it) As a mother of 7 some days I wonder if I can still speak normal English 🙂
Amy says
“Racamoni”! LOVE IT! I’ve found that my kids don’t like soup that is mushy, so I try to keep the ingredients nice and hearty and less broth.
Jamie says
Love this post!! We save quite a bit of leftovers, freeze them, and then make Brunswick stew. It is a family favorite. 🙂
Jay says
Thanks for the idea. I was just meal planning this morning, breakfast and lunch are my big struggles so this is a great add in to my menu. Great video.
Leah says
I’ve actually done something like this quite a few times, but never really had a name for it. Now that I see you’ve named it “Kitchen Sink Soup”, I feel inclined to make up a name for our soup as well. And, I think maybe this will also be our lunch today! lol. It’s only 11:11 my time (pacific time) and I hadn’t figured out what we were having for lunch yet. I also have to say, Amy, that you are so beautiful. Good job on the video! Thanks for helping us with lunch today!! 🙂
Beth says
My mom’s father would do this on Saturday nights. Their last name is Meigs so it was always called a Meigs Mess 🙂 Doesn’t sound all that appealing but it was a fun name that their family liked using!
Natalie says
We have a “rice & bean” dish that works similarly. It used to be “cheesy Mexican rice main dish”, but it has morphed based on who is making it and what we have on hand. I’ve also reused tomato based soup in pasta sauce (and vice versa). I’ve found that storing leftover rice and pasta separate from their toppings makes them more versatile.
Pat Morse says
I make “Stuff over Rice”. Starts with gravy or soup (which I thicken), throw in left over vegetables, meat, and pour over rice (or baked potatoes). My grandsons love stuff over rice even though I don’t think it has ever been the same twice.
Jennifer Dewing says
My husband is a chef and in the restaurant, this kind of soup is called “cream of cooler” soup. No joke! The last restaurant my husband worked at, it was his job to come up with a “soup of the day”, but could only use what was left over in the cooler. He’s a fabulous soup maker (among many other things!), so they always turned out really good and the customers never knew it. And yes, we still do the same thing at home, either in a soup or a hot dish form.
Amy says
Love this!
Lauren Beck says
Encouraged and inspired by all of this!! Thank you Amy
Adina says
I love love LOVE this idea! I never thought to do this before. But now I know it will be my go to lunch. This is why I love reading your blog. You have such fantastic ideas!
Karen says
That was cool!
Heather M says
My kids call this kind of soup “nail soul” after a story we read. The more random ingredients, the more excited my kids get. I found adding some quinoa makes a broth based soup really hearty without adding tons of carbs or changing the flavor.
Amy says
LOVE quinoa! Great idea!
Maureen says
I love the idea of Kitchen Sink Soup! Sounds perfect for a Cold Midwestern day! We do not have a lot of leftovers! I have 7 children and the older ones are girls….and they eat me out of house and home! We do something like your soup, but we prefer to make it more of a stir fry, mix it with some brown rice and wrap it in a tortilla!! We use leftover eggs, potatoes, meat, veggies, any sauce!! Everything tastes delicious wrapped in a flour tortilla!
Kara W. says
My Grama used to call this ‘Rerun Soup.’ She’s been gone for awhile now, and I always smile when I make it. I also almost always add tomato sauce. Thanks for this post. I kind of needed to smile today.
Amy says
I like that name! Sounds a whole lot better than Kitchen Sink Soup. ((HUGS))
Josi says
This has been the “year of soup” at our house. I have made soup for lunch for many of our school days. I had to start making more so that Dad wasn’t so disappointed when he would get home from work to find out we had enjoyed homemade soup while he was away!
I love your idea of the “kitchen sink” soup. The only potential downside is when you absolutely love a specific version but then realize it was one-of-a-kind!
My sister introduced me to the copycat Panera Bread cream of chicken and wild rice soup. If you’re ever in the mood for a creamy (and fattening) soup, this is a good and easy one. You can find it on food.com.
Elisabeth says
My mom would do this occasionally as well! Some of the most amazing soups came out of throwing things together- but she couldn’t remember what went in there.
I LOVE the name! Very unique and fun!
Sam says
In my house, we have “Dump Salad” usually cucumbers and tomatoes with olives, avocado, and shrimp (when we have it), but often with whatever’s kicking around in the fridge! It’s a family favorite!