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Last week we talked about chicken soup for the stomach…as well as the soul. Another really tasty and hearty winter lunch is steak & potato soup. So after cleaning up from last week’s celebration of steak and jacket potatoes, I took the leftovers and threw them into the pot and made an excellent homemade version.

So let’s look once more at how this creative cooking matches our Frugal Family core values:

Family first. This night, my three year-old daughter was too tired after dinner to help in the kitchen. Instead I waited until she was snuggled in her bed before finishing this recipe off. But I did manage to involve my mother-in-law, who was very happy to have fresh soup for her lunch at work the next day.

Save money. Again this one is a biggy. Because it is steak and potato, these are always premium products and even the canned versions cost over £1. I made a whole pot that served me and Emily two lunches…and my mother-in-law’s. That is three servings for less than the cost of a single can.

Environmentally friendly. Not only did we re-use our leftover steak and sautéed mushrooms and onions, which meant they did not end up in the council dumpsite. We also re-used an old glass spaghetti jar as a secure storage for my mother-in-law’s lunch.

Healthier. As always, the homemade version allowed us to better control the amounts of salt and sugars added. Of course, it is also preservative free. In the case, we also had the opportunity to reduce the fat content by trimming the leftover steak before adding it to the soup.

So once again a little creative cooking and re-using left-overs allows us to share quality family time, save money, and live greener and healthier lives.

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So let’s look at what went into this homemade steak and potato soup:

Begin by trimming excess fat from the leftover cooked steak. Then cube the steak; about half-inch squares is an excellent bite size. Toss the meat and any leftover sautéed mushrooms and onions into a pot and cover with water. Bring this to a boil while you cut up one small onion and two large potatoes. Cut according to your family’s taste; small or large chucks. We prefer large. Now add these to the boiling meat. Allow this to simmer until the potatoes are cooked.

To finish the soup off, add about two tablespoons of sour cream/crème freche. Now grate parmesan cheese to taste, but remember that these two ingredients will have the majority of your fats. Of course, they also add a great deal of flavour. One thing I have always found useful was to make a dish to my family’s taste initially and then over time cut back on things like cheese, milk, butter and any of the other worrisome ingredients. Finally add salt and pepper to taste.

And enjoy…