[caption id="attachment_471" align="alignleft" width="117" caption="There's nothing quite like a warm bowl of hearty soup!"] [/caption] I once heard that the song Pease Porridge Hot was based on how, in the good old days, a pot would sit on the wood burning stove and in it would go most kitchen scraps. And in this pot, from these scraps, would cook a hearty soup to feed the family. Now, I have no idea whether or not this is true, but ever since I heard it I thought it would be a great way to use up vegetables that are on the brink of going bad. I'm certainly more discriminating of what goes in the pot than maybe they would have been back in the day, but if it's in the fridge and looking a little tired then I start thinking about throwing together a speedy vegetable soup. When I stuck my head in the fridge the other day I found some soft peppers, a tired-looking head of broccoli, a couple of half-used onions and a lonely carrot. I spent a few minutes chopping these veggies (plus a couple of potatoes) up. I sautéed the onions in a bit of olive oil, then added the rest of the veggies. I then added some vegetable broth and just let my soup simmer on the stove for about 45 minutes. Once it cooled down a bit, I gave it a whirl around the blender. Voila! A hearty vegetable soup my partner and I have been enjoying for a few days now. I always serve my soups with a fresh baguette! The great thing about soups like these is that you can also freeze them. I usually freeze about half of my soup, so one day down the road when I need a quick dinner I'll just pull it out of the freezer. Just think of all the vegetables you'll save from going in the compost - and all the money you'll save by not wasting your veggies What do you do with the tired-looking fruits and veggies in your fridge? How do make sure not to waste your on-the-brink food? If you need a bit more guidance when making a vegetable soup, here are some great recipes to try: Hearty Vegetable Soup Winter Lentil and Vegetable Soup Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup