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Mix and Match for Easy Weeknight Meals
In today’s vodcast, I chat about a Mix and Match strategy for pulling together easy weeknight meals that can be ready in minutes.
Get to know more about some of the topics I discuss in the following blog post sections:
- Mix and Match Soup Ingredients
- Soup Recipes for Easy Weeknight Meals
- Making Delightful Soup Sides
- Cooking with Grains
- More Kitchen Pioneer Videos
These conversational vodcasts are available to the Kitchen Pioneers who have joined my YouTube membership community—The Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy.
Affiliates note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. My content may contain affiliate links to products and services. If you click through and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission. It does not affect the price you pay.
Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy
My comprehensive vodcasts are exclusively available to members of the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy, who we call Kitchen Pioneers. You can learn more about my optional YouTube membership community, including members-only videos and exclusive perks.
This membership community is optional. I’m still publishing my weekly detailed instructional cooking videos on my public YouTube channel that you can watch for free. (Thanks so much for being a Sweet Friend and subscriber!)
In addition to links to the latest Kitchen Academy vodcasts, this blog post lists some of the public videos that I talk about in my vodcast.
Mix and Match Soup Ingredients
As one of the options for an easy mix and match weeknight meal, you can make soup. For a mix and match soup, you’ll want to choose an ingredient from each of the following categories:
- Broth – Choose a beef, chicken, fish, pork, or turkey bone broth.
- Bulk – Choose a starch, like rice, beans, whole grains, and pasta.
- Vegetables – See below.
For your soup’s vegetables, I like using a basic Mirepoix that includes onions, carrots, and celery. You can easily create your own Mirepoix. In the following recipe video, I show you how to make and dehydrate Mirepoix so it will be shelf-stable, enabling you to store it in your long-term pantry. That way you’ll always have it available whenever you want to make soup!
You can also choose from other vegetables, depending on what is in season, such as:
- Selection of greens
- Zucchinis and other squashes
- Potatoes (both white and sweet)
- Green beans
Although technically a grain, corn can be an excellent choice. The same is true for peas. Although they are technically a legume, you can still include peas in your soup under the vegetable umbrella.
Revisiting the broth category, if you’re new to making bone broth, you can learn how to make a beef bone broth in my complete cooking class for Kitchen Pioneers.
Soup Recipes for Easy Weeknight Meals
Try any of these easy soups for delicious weeknight meals with the following recipe videos. You can also add homemade sides that I show you how to make in the Making Delightful Soup Sides section.
If you’re looking for a jump start to a sliming soup for the new year, try one of these skinny soups.
Making Delightful Soup Sides
If you have an opportunity to make these sides ahead of time, any soup would enjoy an accompaniment of homemade sourdough bread or some cheese and homemade crackers along with a side of fermented veggies. Here are a few recipes to get you started making a traditional food that would go well alongside your soup.
Cooking with Grains
To speed up your soup-making process, be sure to have some pre-cooked beans and grains on hand that can be used to make any soup more filling.
In the following video, I show you have to make your own sprouted flour. Note that the first part of the video shows you how to soak and sprout grains, and you can add the sprouted grains to any soup for an extra boost of nutrition.
More Kitchen Pioneer Videos
Catch up on some of the recent videos in our membership community:
- Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy video playlist (Optional Membership Community)
Remember that you’re always welcome to post questions and comments on my videos at any time, and I’m glad to reply.
Stay in Touch with Mary’s Nest
- Subscribe to My YouTube Channel for Traditional Foods Videos (Free) - When you subscribe, be sure to click on the notification bell that will let you know each time I upload a new video.
- Subscribe to Mary’s Traditional Foods Newsletter (Free) - Get a free 36-page eBook for signing up: How to Stock Your Essential Traditional Foods Four-Corners Pantry.
- Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy - For more detailed videos and exclusive members-only perks, join my YouTube membership community.
- Order The Modern Pioneer Cookbook - Get a hardcover book of Mary's nourishing recipes from a Traditional Foods Kitchen. This bestselling cookbook is published by Penguin Random House with their DK imprint.
- Preorder The Modern Pioneer Pantry - Be one of the first to get Mary's hardcover book about preserving food and making delicious meals from your Four Corners Pantry. Mary's second cookbook is also published by Penguin Random House.
I look forward to having you join me in my Texas Hill Country Kitchen!
Shop for items used in this blog post or video
Favorite Kitchen Supplies
- Chef’s Knife
- Bamboo Cutting Board
- Lodge Cast Iron Frying Pan
- Scanpan
- Spatula Spoon
- Whisk
- Large Stock Pot
- Stainless Steel Colander
- Large Measuring Cup
- Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Baking Sheet
- 2-Cup Glass Storage Jars with Lids
- 10-Piece Glass Bowl Set
- Flour Sack Towels
- Fat Separator
- Favorite Aprons
In addition, the following links and promo codes will help you save on fermentation supplies and grain grinders.
- Masontops Fermentation Kit (See promocode below)
- Mockmill 100 Stone Grain Mill (See promocode below)
Use promo code MARYSNST for a one-time 15% off Masontops and Breadsmart products on Amazon.com.
Learn more about Mockmill electric grain mills for making fresh flour and their Flake Lover's Flaker that flakes whole grain in minutes.
Amazon Shop and Shopping Guide
- Visit Mary’s Nest Amazon Shop
- Visit my Shopping Guide page
Get up to 15% off for stocking your Traditional Foods Pantry and equipping your Modern Pioneer Kitchen, including discounts from US Wellness Meats, Farmhouse Teas, Lehman's, Masontops, Cultures for Health, Survival Garden Seeds, Redmond Real Salt, Plan to Eat, and More!
