Whether you’re looking to eat up all your bread and bread-adjacent foods before Passover, or just simply trying to build a meal from what you’ve got, this chametz soup is here for you! “Chametz” refers to the foods that many Jews avoid during Passover–basically bread and other starchy things that swell and rise during mixing and cooking. Some Jews also don’t eat foods that historically might have been mixed up with chametz, like rice, beans, peas and corn. Oh, wait, all these ingredients would be great in soup!
If you’re someone who clears your house of chametz before the holiday, consider making this soup to use up your odds and ends! And whether you’re prepping for Passover or not, this is a great basic soup recipe to use year round – it will clear out your kitchen and sooth your soul. It’s a cozy way to welcome spring.
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Clear the kitchen chametz soup
Description
This soup is great for using up your chametz before Passover, or for simply clearing out your kitchen any time of year. The ingredients are approximate; just use what you have!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, more if needed
- 2 onions, chopped
- 5 carrots, chopped
- 5 celery sticks, chopped
- 8 cups stock (chicken or vegetable), adjust based on what you have and if you want something more like a soup or more like a stew. Scrappy broth is perfect.
- 2 bay leaves
- Chametz and similar foods: bread, pasta, rice, beans, lentils, bread, noodles, corn, peas
- Anything else you need to use up. Vegetables? Herbs? Cheese for topping?
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Chop the onions, carrots and celery.
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Coat the bottom of the pan with the oil.
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Saute the onions, carrots and celery (you can chop in that order and then drop them in the pot as you go). Once all the veggies are in the pot, sauté for several minutes.
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Pour in the broth.
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Add the two bay leaves.
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Add in any chametz ingredients that need to cook in the hot water (rice, noodles, etc.)
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Add in any other ingredients (pre-cooked beans, spinach, dried herbs)
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Add salt and pepper to taste
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Add any other herbs you might want to use up.
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Let everything simmer until the veggies are soft and any pasta or rice is thoroughly cooked. This could easily take at least 20 minutes.
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If you’re adding bread, while the soup is simmering, cut it into one-inch or smaller cubes, coat with olive oil and toast them in the oven or a toaster oven until they’re crunchy. You can also just dip toasted bread in the soup.
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Remove from heat, top with croutons/bread and anything else you have that sounds good. Perhaps cheese? Fresh herbs?
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Eat it before Passover starts!
