FABULOUS & FRUGAL ' EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK' VELOUTE, Vegan

This is a variation on 67's richly flavoured vegetable melange, costing very little, which knocks the socks off anyone who tastes it

Potage of 'Everything but the kitchen sink' with cauliflower & chicken
'Just unbelievably good and so cheap!' Retired writer

It's hard to believe  something so simple - just vegetables and water - could be so flavourful and cost so little.  And there's the added bonus of helping avoid food waste.

You can, of course, stick to just one or two veg but 67 finds a mix really boosts the flavour.  

Slow cooking helps the gorgeous result.  67 does not have a Instant Pot; if you have one and want to test this recipe in it, please send a comment telling the blog how it went.    


Two cooking methods are available:

• oven: when in use for other purposes, e.g. Sunday lunch or baking sessions
• slow cooker: easy on electricity bills  

The potage does not contain protein. For a balanced Vegan meal: add tinned pulses (whole or pureed with the soup).   Vegetarians can serve Skinny Ultra Grilled Cheese on Toast or frugal Savoury Pinwheels on the side.  Flexitarians, add leftover cooked pawns or meat, or slivers of raw meat or tiny meatballs, adding an extra 5-7 mins cooking time.


Feeds: 6-8
Cost:  £1 or less

Ingrid:

Essentials  
 500gm/8 oz potatoes (washed, not peeled) 
OR 250 gm/4 oz potatoes & 250gm/4 oz parsnips, swede, celeriac or/and squash
   250gm/4 oz onions
   250gm/4 oz carrots
All in slices max 1/2 in/1 cm thick

any or all of veg from the fridge at its weekly clear-out (those not in good enough condition to carry over):
    celery
    broccoli stalks
    cauliflower stalks
    any other root veg
    mushrooms
    tomatoes 
    cauliflower leaves
    salad ingred (not beetroot), including salad that has been dressed

couple of cloves garlic (opt)
thumb size piece of fresh ginger (opt)

pepper & salt

Water

garnish: herbs, smoked paprika, matchsticks of finely sliced veg 

Method:

1. Check veg; cut out any disreputable looking bits, remove stems & skins of mushrooms if necessary, top & tail root veg, peel tough skin from broccoli, chop off bottom half an inch of cauliflower leaves and lettuce
2. If cooking by oven, pre-heat oven to 375f/180c/gas5 
3. Either line a deep ovenproof dish with greaseproof paper OR if using a slow cooker, line with a roasting or slow cooker bag (prevents sticking & makes washing up easier) (opt)
4. Cover the bottom of pan with slices of onion & carrot; season with salt and pepper  
5. Scatter over potato slices; season
6. Cover with a scattering of mixed fridge veg; season lightly
7. Repeat layers; the veg should reach about 2 cm below the surface of the baking dish  
8. Add enough water to come just below the top of the vegetables.  
9. Oven: cover the dish with foil;  bake 1 1/2  hours OR Slow-cooker: Cook on low 4-6 hours or until a knife stuck into the middle meets no resistance.
10. Decant into a deep pot; puree with stick blender; test for seasoning; add veg granules if needed  
11. This your base; it will keep up to 3 days in the fridge and for a month in the freezer

Variations:

• add protein, vegetarian or leftover/raw protein
• add raw or frozen veg
• add crunchy croutons
• add rice or pasta
• add finely chopped hard boiled egg

Adjust cooking time accordingly

Tip:
There's no avoiding the 'greige' colour of the soup but imaginative garnishes - circles cream or thinned yoghurt, leafy veg or chopped herbs or smoked paprika & (lemony) sumac - will have a dramatic effect on the potage's appearace

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This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission