This is the time of year when soup makes a huge come-back for us.  (Even though I love it year round.)  Soup is not only a wonderful way to warm body and soul, it’s your way of using up leftovers and those things whose time is quickly coming to a close.  Mike likes to call them “mystery soups”.  You would not believe how tasty these concoctions can be!

This is the first year Mike has grown leeks in our garden.  While he’s going to attempt leaving some to winter over, he harvested several bucketfuls.  I dehydrated many.  They dehydrate quite well, and I will see how those work out later in the winter.  For now, I’d decided I was going to make potato-leek soup.  Then as I got to looking around, I had some leftover roasted red peppers I’d taken out of the freezer (from last years garden), as well as frozen kale from last year.  Hmm.  I have several things in the freezer that are nearing their expiration date, and I really hate to let food go to waste!

I browned up some sweet sausage (also from the freezer) with the fresh leeks and some garlic (from my sister’s garden, that she generously shared).  Added the potatoes and peppers, covered with bone broth and simmered most of the afternoon.  Then, in the evening, I tossed in the kale and thickened it up with with some cream left over from earlier in the week.  YUM!!!  A little toasted garlic bread to dunk in it, and it was a soup made in heaven!  Sort of a potato & leek/zuppa toscana combo.  It really was good.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with soups and leftovers.  One of the best vegetable soups I ever made was  when I (with serious reservation) tossed in some leftover baked macaroni and cheese.  That mac and cheese gave the soup an incredibly rich flavor.  (No extra calories though!)  See what you have and give it a shot.  You just might be surprised!