Homemade Soup ~ Be Brainy About it...

Soup, takes you home...

The Brainy Gourmet has never strayed from frugality. Most meals are cooked based on what is in the fridge or pantry on any given day and what can be used over again.  Soup is one of those food stuffs that just keeps on giving. If you prepare a stock whether from meat/poultry or vegetables, it can and will become a number of different soups throughout the week.

A cut of meat that I learned to like and to use for soup stock is pork butt; specifically, the 'picnic/pork' shoulder which I think has been unfairly named. This cut of pork is absolutely perfect for soup and what comes after. If you buy a large enough shoulder, you can also enjoy pulled pork sandwiches the next day.

To begin your soup, saute onion in olive oil. Push the onion aside and sear the pork butt on both sides. Cover with water and add any vegetable you like; keeping in mind that if you want to create a variety of soups throughout the week those veggies should be drained off and served/used separately.

As you have read on previous blogs, do not add macaroni, rice or potatoes to the stock. They can be cooked on the side and added to individual bowls as your soup stock morphs into many different brainy delicious soups.

From this cut of pork, you will be surprised to see a dark rich stock...

From this rich stock, you can create whatever soup you like... just be brainy about it!

*Serve your soup with either toasted bread or a grilled cheese sandwich.