I made the best soup a few days ago, but because my main intention was
just to use up the leftovers of a dinner that itself was planned
around using up misc. from the fridge, it will be a little work to
recreate it on purpose.

My sister wanted shredded, blanched, brussels, sauted with bacon,
onioin, garlic, dusted with parm.

I'd made some baked thing distantly related to chicken parm - slices
of eggplant; de-boned, flattened chicken thighs; mozz and slices of
some other cheese. A canned spaghetti sauce.

(An aside - while I have to buy canned tomatoes, I never buy pre-made
sauces. A relative dropped off a couple of cases. I was going to
find a food bank to take them, but then read the ingredients - aside
from corn syrup being listed second, not scary. Nothing
unpronouncible. Turns out it's pretty handy for a lazy, quick meal.
Doesn't taste too bad. A little sweet. DelMonte Traditional.)

So, soup. Blanching water as base of the stock, with the chicken
bones and attached meat scraps, the usual trinity and garlic.
Probably a bay leaf. When that was cooked and strained and reduced a
little, I added maybe a cup of the brussels/bacon stuff (about half
and half) and the "drippings" from the chicken/eggplant/cheese/tomato
thing. Pan roasted more of the 3+1. Did very little adjustment on
seasonings. S&P, some lemon juice. There was rosemary in the chicken
dish. Olive oil in there somewhere. I really wasn't paying
attention. As an afterthought, nuked some potatoes into submission
and diced 'em in.

The results - the sister and I both think it tastes pretty good cold.
The main target of the mission was hot lunch for 90yo alz-dad, who has
never made any comment, good or bad, about my cooking, and has had
three bowls. Every time: "Thank you. Good soup, Mike."

More brussels and eggplant in the next shopping cart, and I'll try to
do it again.

Bulka