Make What You Love with What You Have: A Compilation of Substitute-Friendly Recipes
How many times have you opened your fridge and nothing screams “eat me!” You sigh at the thought of having to actually make something. I’m a little different. I pride myself in being able to whip together a delicious meal regardless of what I have sitting in my fridge or pantry. Now, I want to share a few of these substitute-friendly meals for those who struggle to see potential in their selection. The following recipes can be substituted with any protein or veggie you have on-hand.
La Noche Cálida (One-Pot Vegetable Soup)
As DC experiences its first big snowstorm of the season, I’m dreaming about cuddling up with this hearty vegetable soup. This one-pot vegetable soup is easy and warm, perfect for wintry nights when you just want to throw something together but also want to get your fix of your daily veggies.
Ingredients:
48 FL oz. vegetable broth
15 oz. canned red kidney beans drained and rinsed
15 oz. canned cannellini beans drained and rinsed
Sub: Great Northern beans; navy beans
15 oz. canned diced tomatoes
1/2 medium yellow onion diced
Sub: white onion
1 c. carrots diced
1 medium sweet potato skinned and cubed
Sub: regular potato
1/2 TB onion powder
1/2 TB garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground oregano
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. thyme
Salt and pepper
Directions:
In a large pot over medium-high heat, pour in the vegetable broth. Add the kidney beans, cannellini beans, diced tomatoes, onion, carrots, and cubed potatoes. Stir.
Add the seasonings. Stir well. Add salt to taste. Stir.
Cover the pot with a lid. Let simmer on medium heat until the potatoes and carrots have softened, about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Serve with sprinkled pepper on top.
Alyssa is a Chicago-native foodie based in Washington, DC. Through the pandemic and working from home, she has been able to focus on her love of food and creating simple-yet-delicious recipes from her own kitchen.