Description: Ideas for making soups from leftovers.

Many people I've talked with lately have expressed concern about the future of our food supplies and how to effectively make use of their food storage.

The following recipe is not only easy and delicious, it's also a simple way to use canned, dried, and other easily stored food items. (Excerpted and adapted with permission from 'Mix-and-Match Recipes: Creative Ideas for Busy Kitchens' by Deborah Taylor-Hough.)

Mix-and-Match Soup
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(8 generous servings)

BROTH (choose one):

Tomato: One 12-oz. can tomato paste PLUS two 16-oz. cans tomatoes with juice (chopped) PLUS water to equal 10 cups total

Chicken/Turkey: 10 cups broth OR 4 bouillon cubes dissolved in 10 cups water

Beef: 10 cups broth OR 4 bouillon cubes dissolved in 10 cups water

PROTEIN (choose one -- 1 pound or 2 cups, cooked):

Ground beef, browned
Leftover meatballs or meatloaf, chopped
Cooked chicken or turkey (cut up)
Ham (cut up)
Lentils
Frankfurters, sliced (or any sausage or Kielbasa)
Pepperoni, sliced
Beans, cooked or canned (pintos, kidney, Great Northern, or a mixture of whatever you have on hand)

GRAIN (choose 1 or 2 -- total of 2 cups):

Rice, cooked (any variety)
Barley, cooked
Pasta, raw
Corn
Dumplings (add near end of cooking time)

VEGETABLES (raw, cooked or canned, choose 2 or more: total of 1 - 2 cups)

Cabbage
Carrots
Celery
Onion
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Green beans
Turnips
Parsnips
Broccoli
Peas or pea pods
Cauliflower
Bell pepper
Zucchini (add raw)

SEASONINGS (choose 2 - 4 spices, 1 - 2 teaspoons each):

Basil
Cayenne (dash)
Chives
Cumin
Garlic
Marjoram
Onion powder
Thyme
Rosemary
Parsley
Oregano

TO PREPARE SOUP:

Bring broth to a boil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add all ingredients; salt and pepper to taste; reduce heat; simmer one hour.

SLOW COOKER PREP:

Pour boiling stock and other ingredients into slow cooker and simmer 8 - 12 hours or overnight on LOW setting.

Deborah Taylor-Hough (wife and mother of three) is the author of the bestselling, 'Frozen Assets: How to cook for a day and eat for a month,' and the new book, 'Frugal Living For Dummies(r)' (Wiley, 2003). Visit Debi at: http://hometown.aol.com/dsimple/.