A big pot of soup used to be the only kind I could make, volume-wise. I would start out thinking it was going to be a small pot of soup and always end up with more than I could eat in a week. While most freeze ok and it can be wonderful to reach in the freezer and pull out a container of soup on a cold night, I really like that first fresh bowl of soup best.

This year, I started making a kind of riff on Italian Wedding soup using chopped up meatloaf instead of meatballs. Somewhere along the way, I saw a recipe that suggested heating the broth, sauteing the vegetables and then combining the broth, vegetables and orzo (or other small pasta) and letting them simmer a bit together, i.e. marry the flavors.

I tried the saute and combine method and since I cooked the orzo ahead of time, I sauteed it a wee bit also. That worked VERY well and it made it easy to make one delicious bowl of soup.

A month or so ago, I made this pizza sauce. The recipe notes that the vinegar and garlic “make” the sauce and I have to agree – especially the vinegar. Not a huge surprise as vinegar or lemon juice (acids) added to things tend to brighten and intensify the flavors.

So…the next time I made Italian Wedding Soup, I added some vinegar which kicked up the flavor a notch.

Zuppa for one: all ingredients can be modified for individual taste and/or what is left in the refrigerator.

Today’s combo included leftover meatloaf, sweet corn, carrots and kale.

I measure 1/2 a bowl full of broth – heating that up with a spoon full of marinara. Actually, I broke a chunk of roast vegetable marinara that I froze flat in zips…so handy to break off what is needed for soup or pasta sauce.

For the vegetables and meat, I find that if I cut all up on the cutting board and think about portions on a plate, I don’t end up with too much stuff for my one bowl of soup. This is versus adding willy-nilly to the pot…then a bit more broth, etc., etc. and ending up with enough for a week!

I added the carrots to warming olive oil and ghee and gave the carrots several minutes to soften: then the corn and finally the meatloaf and kale. Into to broth with everything. No pasta today.

Add a bit of red wine vinegar to deglaze the pan and get all of the flavorful brown bits and then add all of that liquid and scrapings to the broth, vegetables and meat.

Everything into a bowl – top with red pepper flakes, croutons and parmesan. Zuppa for one!

Of course, you can make larger quanties if the soup eating persons in your house number more than one :)

***3/6 edit: I made this today using a chipotle olive oil and a white balsamic vinegar…samples from a friend purchased at a local spot that sells specialty oils and vinegars. This combo…with carrots, corn, leeks, kale and bits of hamburger (burger courtesy of Bear!) in the marinara broth – SPECTACULAR! It was spicy with a hint of sweet and just perfect.