Kroger Bargain Meal August 2-8

This week's Kroger meal is a frugal staple--soup! This is a variation of minestrone soup, made for our tastes. I think it's best with some pasta, but this pot of soup did not have any, because I was making it to can. I was afraid the pasta would get mushy in the jars. We'll add pasta as I open each jar for serving.

This soup was made with whatever was in the house, so in addition to the ingredients in the recipe, it also had chard in it. I'm all about sneaking greens into everything we eat. They are healthy, they bulk up the food, they're cheap (they grow prolifically), and most importantly, they taste good!

Minestrone Soup
chicken broth--free
1/2 pound dried kidney beans--$0.50
1/2 pound dried garbanzo beans--$0.90
1 onion, chopped--$0.25
celery, chopped--$0.20
1 bell pepper, chopped--on sale--$0.50
1 large can tomatoes--$1.19
1 pound zucchini, sliced--on sale--$0.99
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp Italian seasoning--pennies
1/2 pound green beans--on sale--$0.50
1/2 pound red potatoes, cubed--approx $0.50
1/2 pound small pasta--on sale $1/lb--$0.50
fresh basil to taste--free from the garden!

Cook beans in chicken broth until tender, usually 1.5-2 hours. In a separate pan, saute onion, celery, and pepper until they have a bit of color on them. Add to the beans along with remaining ingredients (except pasta). Simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes and other vegetables are done. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add fresh basil. Cook pasta separately and serve a spoonful in each bowl (so that the leftovers don't go mushy on you).

Total cost--$6.03 (for at least 8 servings)

As always, check out other $5 ideas from other grocery stores and their weekly specials.