Childhood: my best dishes remind me of a time when life was simple and I felt loved and well fed. My grandmother, Ma Ma Liles, always made sure of this! She was always asking: are you hungry? Let me fix you something. Her favorite thing to pull out and almost at every lunch year round was her famous soup. She named it vegetable soup but I remember it being full of whatever she had left from a previous scrumptious family meal on the Oaks Farm. It might include turkey, fresh ham, hamburger, sausage, chicken and of course any vegetable from the wonderful garden my Pa Pa Liles grew each year. Every taste reminded me of love and family. That's what life on the farm was about. My grandparents were a huge part of my life growing up. They cared for me every other weekend and over half my summer vacations and more. They had enough love for 500 grandchildren and i could feel it in every ounce of my bones! I have recreated her recipe and renamed it cupboard soup of course because it can be made with anything you have in your cupboard or on hand.
Cupboard Soup: (Make as little or as much as you like, but it freezes well)
1 - 2 pounds of any cooked and cut up meat such as hamburger, beef, ham, sausage, turkey or chicken
1 - 2 14. 5 oz. cans of petite diced tomatoes
1 can of tomato soup undiluted
2 - 3 cups of veggies of your choice (peas, any beans, corn, carrots, potatoes)
2 cups of cut up cabbage
4 -6 cups of broth (beef and chicken or turkey)
1 small cut up onion
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. Italian seasoning
1 t. seasoned salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 Bay leaf
1 - 2 T. olive oil
I usually brown the onion with any raw vegetables such as the cabbage in the olive oil on medium high to help give the soup some depth of flavor. After they have browned add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn down to low and simmer at least an hour or so. Add more broth or seasoning to taste. The longer it cooks the better it tastes! Enjoy!
Cupboard Soup: (Make as little or as much as you like, but it freezes well)
1 - 2 pounds of any cooked and cut up meat such as hamburger, beef, ham, sausage, turkey or chicken
1 - 2 14. 5 oz. cans of petite diced tomatoes
1 can of tomato soup undiluted
2 - 3 cups of veggies of your choice (peas, any beans, corn, carrots, potatoes)
2 cups of cut up cabbage
4 -6 cups of broth (beef and chicken or turkey)
1 small cut up onion
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. Italian seasoning
1 t. seasoned salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 Bay leaf
1 - 2 T. olive oil
I usually brown the onion with any raw vegetables such as the cabbage in the olive oil on medium high to help give the soup some depth of flavor. After they have browned add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn down to low and simmer at least an hour or so. Add more broth or seasoning to taste. The longer it cooks the better it tastes! Enjoy!