Monday, March 31, 2008

QUICK SOUP: Easy Work Lunch

This lunch is so satisfying and easy to prepare. It's a hassle-free way to use up produce in the fridge. And it packs in the veggies, leaving you nourished for the rest of your day.

Tools:

  • Sturdy Tupperware container that can hold about 3-4 cups of food and can be heated in the microwave
  • Cutting board
  • Knife

Ingredients:

  • 1 can of beans, drained and rinsed
  • Cooked leftover rice, pasta, or grains, about a half cup
  • Chicken or vegetable stock, about a cup and a half or enough to fill your container about 3/4 the way full
  • Quick cooking veggies, such as spinach or other dark greens, mushrooms, or broccoli, chopped if needed, about a half cup
  • Fresh herbs, chopped, about a quarter cup
  • Lemon half, squeezed
  • Salt and pepper

The idea is you want to put in a whole bunch of stuff that you like to eat, and things that will cook fairly fast in the microwave. I have found this general combination of ingredients to be quite delicious, but the possibilities for this soup are endless.

The order that the ingredients are listed is the order in which I layer them into my tupperware container. Nothing requires cooking beforehand. I usually make this in about 5 minutes while I am drinking my coffee in the morning. Just open up a can of beans, add in some cooked grains if you have them available, and put in some stock. Throw in a bunch of whole, prewashed spinach, small whole mushrooms, or quickly chop up larger vegetables, like kale. Make sure that longer-cooking veggies, such as carrots, are grated or chopped into small bits so they will cook quickly. Toss in some fresh herbs if you have them on hand, squeeze in some lemon if you want, and add in a couple shakes of salt and pepper. Close up your container, and off to work you go!

Once you are on your lunch break, loosen the lid, pop the container in the microwave for 3 and 1/2 to 4 minutes, eat, and enjoy!









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