Being a comfort cooking fiend, I'm always trying to slide more of the "healthy" into the bellies of my loved ones. So, when I was busy at work one day - I basically forgot to eat anything that meant anything - then when I returned home at 9:45 p.m. I was starving. So here is how this delicious soup evolved - from my refrigerator and the pantry!

First, I looked in my pantry and found chicken broth, which I keep on hand for anything I may want to create...like adding it to rice instead of water, risotto and of course a quick fix soup.

Then, I rummaged through my refrigerator and found a couple of white potatoes, a bell pepper, some onions, scallions and a few stray mushrooms that still looked great from a couple of days ago. So, I concocted this simple and easy to make recipe in thirty minutes by adding a couple of my staple aromatic spices - cumin and curry powder.

I had a small cup of this delicious, satisfying soup for supper. The next day I took a cup to work for lunch and returned home the same night to finish it off. I couldn't stay away from it, that's how tasty it was! My Easy Refrigerator Vegetable Soup recipe is a quick and easy recipe, using up whatever veggies you have in your refrigerator and a couple of pantry ingredients. Of course, use the leftovers that you have to make this your own - it will turn out fabulous with the spices. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 qt. chicken broth
1/4 tsp. paprika
2 small white potatoes, sliced 1/4" thick
2 tbsps. Olive oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 scallions (green onions,) sliced thinly
1/2 cup red onion, diced
2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp. curry powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
Croutons (optional)

Method

1. Bring the broth and paprika to a boil over a medium high heat on the stove top. Gently add the sliced potatoes and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for approximately 10 minutes or until the potatoes are almost tender.
While the potatoes are simmering, cook the veggies.

2. In a small skillet over a medium add the olive oil and then the bell pepper, red onion, cumin and curry powder. Stir and cook for approximately 3 minutes to blend the flavors.

3. When the potatoes are almost tender in the broth, add the veggie mix and cook for 5 - 7 minutes more. It's okay to break up some of the potatoes when your soup is finished, as it makes the soup a little thicker in texture. Serve in a bowl and add your favorite croutons if desired just before serving. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.