How to turn leftovers into soup

With winter well and truly here, salads are off the menu with big steaming bowls of soup taking their place.

We love soup for so many different reasons, but most of all, because it is an easy way to transform leftovers into something new.Soups are very forgiving – you can freehand quantities and add in all sorts of odds and ends but still create something delicious.

Here’s some tips for turning leftovers into soups:

• Got a leftover roast? Use the bones to make a stock, then add the chopped meat and any other vegetables to it. Throw in some spaghetti for a chicken noodle soup.
• Leftovers like curries and stews can either be turned into a soup with the addition of tomatoes and stock for a chunky soup, or blended and mixed with coconut or regular milk to turn it into a smooth soup
• Almost any vegetable – cooked or raw – can be turned into a soup. Find out how here.
• Leftover potato can be mashed and stirred through a soup to thicken it
• Cooked pasta and rice can be added to all sorts of soups to add some texture and carbohydrate
• Got bread crusts? Whip up a batch of croutons to add some crunch to your soup
• Add some protein to a soup by throwing in some chickpeas or other tinned beans

If you have leftover chicken make Henry’s Hearty Chicken and Vegetable Soup

If you have a whole pumpkin to get through try this pumpkin and kumara soup

If you have leftover beetroot and carrot salad you can turn it into soup

If broccoli stalks are taking up space in your fridge make Dr Libby Weaver’s Brilliant Brassica Soup

If you have limp lettuce transform it into this rich soup

If you have a couple of sprouting potatoes try this green leek and potato soup

If your celery has gone limp, make celery soup

If you have your Christmas ham hock stashed in the freezer use it to make this leek and lentil soup