You know it well – that moment when you open the cupboards and open the fridge and there is nothing to eat. No leftovers to nibble, no packages to tear into, no veggies in the crisper waiting to be tossed into a gorgeous salad, not even an overripe banana or a bag of trail mix – nothing – or so you think.
If you’re like me, you probably have a few staples in the cupboard, like brown rice, quinoa, lentils and beans. And if you’re like most people, you probably have a bag of limp carrots buried somewhere in the fridge if you dig deep enough. Perhaps a piece of an onion that’s been there since February…
After walking around the block and deciding that none of the take-out options were a)healthy or b)healthy, I decided that I had enough of a stash, after all, to whip up a quick and simple (it’d have to be!) impromptu stew for one. While it would never cut it in an Iron Chef cook-off, it was very tasty, very healthy, very cheap, and I’m presently perfectly satisfied less than an hour after the cupboard search began. It could also be called “empty cupboard soup.” Of course, if your cupboards really are empty, you’ll need a good take-out option 😉
Impromptu Vegan Stew
- 1/4 onion, diced
- 1 tsp veggie broth powder or 1 veggie bouillon cube
- 1/2 cup red lentils, washed well
- 2 small (limp is ok) carrots, diced
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp sea salt (only if veggie broth mix is unsalted)
- 1 Tbsp miso (optional)
- sprinkle dried seaweed (optional)
Dissolve veggie broth powder in a splash of water in a saucepan on medium. Add onion and carrot and stir until they sweat. Add curry and turmeric.
Add lentils and about 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, covered, and turn down to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the lentils are soft. Add more water as you need to adjust consistency to your liking. I like a thick daal-like soup.
Turn off the heat and stir in the miso. Pour into a bowl and top with some dried seaweed like crumbled nori or dulse (whatever you have in the cupboard!). Any kind of green would be good chopped up on top as well. Or best would be kale chips, if you happened to have any around. Of course, if you did, you’d have had those for dinner! Ha!
Got any favorite empty cupboard tricks to share? Would love to hear what you do in bare-cupboard semi-emergencies!
Photo Credit
Photo By Moira Nordholt – All Rights Reserved
First Published At Feel Good Guru
Recent Moira Nordholt Articles:
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Savory Raw Carrot Pate
- Truffles for Angels
- Holy Peachy Guacamole!
- Choc Chip Oat Cookies
This is a common scenario in our home too. Very creative solution.