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Delicious Leftover Soup Recipe: Quick, Easy, and Budget-Friendly

Delicious Leftover Soup Recipe

A flexible fridge-clearing soup made with leftover meat, vegetables, stock, and your choice of rice, pasta, barley, or potatoes. This comforting dinner is ready in approximately 40 to 50 minutes and serves 4 to 6 people.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup Base
  • 1 tablespoon Olive oil or butter
  • 1 medium Medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 medium Medium carrots, diced
  • 2 stalks Celery stalks, diced
  • 2 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
  • 6 cups Chicken or vegetable stock
Flavorings
  • 1 teaspoon Dried Italian seasoning or mixed herbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
  • 1 leaf Bay leaf, optional
Leftovers
  • 2 cups Cooked leftover meat, shredded or diced
  • 2 cups Cooked or raw leftover vegetables, bite-size
  • 1 cup Canned diced tomatoes, optional
  • 1 cup Cooked rice, pasta, barley, or diced potatoes
Garnish
  • 1-2 tablespoons Fresh parsley, chopped, optional

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Heat the olive oil or butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, then cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
  2. Add the minced garlic and dried Italian seasoning or mixed herbs. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until the garlic smells fragrant.
  3. Pour in the stock and add the canned diced tomatoes if using. Add the bay leaf, bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the raw vegetables are tender.
  4. Stir in the leftover meat and cooked or leftover vegetables. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, just until the meat and vegetables are hot throughout.
  5. Add the cooked rice, pasta, barley, or diced potatoes near the end of cooking. If using uncooked pasta or rice, cook for the additional time listed on the package.
  6. Remove the bay leaf and taste the broth after the leftovers have been added. Season gradually with the remaining salt and black pepper, garnish with parsley if desired, and serve hot.

Notes

Use cooked meat, vegetables, rice, and pasta near the end so they warm through without becoming dry or mushy. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and use refrigerated cooked food within 3 to 4 days. Reheat soup until steaming hot throughout, adding stock or water if it thickens.