Jalopy Soup

I'm at my mother-in-law's house.  I smell soup...chicken, ginger and asian-ish things. I see a pot on the stove.  I peek inside.  Yes, soup it is! Looks like shredded bits of roasted chicken, cabbage, carrots, onions, a big chunk of beat up ginger and soggy macaroni that is way past the al dente stage.  I taste.  As usual, despite the unappetizing appearance, the soup is delicious!

My mother-in-law is famous for her mish-mash soups.  She keeps all her leftover food in the freezer until it'soup ready.  Sometimes the food combinations are strange but with her secret whatever it is, she transforms last week's dinner into another delicious meal.

Me:  How did you make this?
MIL: I don't know.  Just leftovers.
Me:  What's in the soup base?
MIL:  No salt.
Me:  What did you add?
MIL:  I don't know. 

I may never duplicate my mother-in-law's soup and will never get her recipe, if there ever is one, but I've managed to create my own strange but true hodgepodge soup from spare parts.  I dare you to taste...My Jalopy Soup!





Jalopy Soup

  

 - 1 can tomato soup + 1 can water (more if you want it soupier)

- Leftover chili with beans (I love Zippy's but I've used canned also)
- Portuguese sausage from breakfast
- Frozen french fries (cut smaller to look like real potatoes)
- Your choice of vegetables (like corn kernels, tomatoes...)
- Cooked macaroni for the kids' sake
- Sometimes I sneak in a dallop of salsa but the kids don't like it

I toss everything into a pot and bring it to a boil then I simmer my concoction until the frozen fries/vegetables are tender.  We eat this over rice or with crackers.  My husband likes his medley more soupy while I like mines thicker.

I do not claim to be a cook in any shape or form but tee-hee-hee, I've fed this to real people and they still live.

Oh...and no salt.