Dinner is a problem for many of us. We’re busy and feeding picky family members is never an easy task. What would you say to a weeknight dinner that will use up your leftovers and keep everybody happy? Say hello to Assembly Line Soup! Our ideas have a decidedly Asian flair, but the possibilities are endless.

Everybody knows that chicken soup, or any soup made with chicken stock, is the ultimate food for those who feel under the weather. Studies have found numerous health benefits in chicken soup, especially if it’s made with homemade stock.

Stock isn’t hard to make, but it does take time. No time? No problem. Some specialty grocery stores sell, well not homemade, but store-made stock. If you’re going with boxed stock, try to stick to low sodium versions as any packaged product is likely to be too high in sodium.

Step 1: Heat Your Stock.

Pour about two cups of chicken stock per person into a pot and heat to a boil. If using homemade bone broth that may be more of a jelly than a liquid, use two-thirds chicken stock to one-third water. This will be your base. Add about an eighth of a teaspoon of grated ginger per serving for extra flavor.

Step 2: Prep Your Ingredients.

Get your other ingredients ready. Maybe you can get some small hands to help! Warm leftover meat such as chicken, pork or beef in the oven, or shred them into small (and we mean small) pieces so that the hot broth can warm them quickly. Cook noodles or rice according to package directions, if you aren’t using leftovers. Chop your vegetables. Again, stick to small pieces.

Step 3: The Assembly Line- Assembled.

Lay out the bowls of individual soup ingredients along the counter or in the middle of the table. Let everybody pick out the ingredients for their own specialty soup. Hold onto your vegetables that need cooking (check out the quick list of ideas below).

Step 4: Individually Designed Soup- Family Style.

Add the vegetables that need to be cooked to the boiling stock (check out the quick list of ideas below). Don’t worry- nothing we’ve listed will take more than five minutes, but be sure to stick to small pieces while you’re prepping. Pour the hot stock and each person’s cooked vegetables of choice on top of their bowl of preferred noodles and meats. Encourage everyone to flavor their soup at the table with low-sodium soy sauce, sliced scallions, sesame oil, crushed red pepper flakes or fresh cilantro- for something different.

Ingredient Ideas

Before you go through our list and feel like you might need to go grocery shopping, look through your fridge. See something interesting? Use it. It’s hard to go wrong.

Protein (precooked and sliced/diced small):

  • Chicken
  • Beef
  • Pork
  • Tofu
  • Raw eggs (Crack into the hot broth for egg drop soup)

Veggies

  • Carrots (3-4 minutes)
  • Zucchini (3-4 minutes)
  • Snow peas, sliced (1-2 minutes)
  • Fresh mushrooms (30 seconds- 1 minute)
  • Bok choy, chopped (4-5 minutes)
  • Spinach
  • Swiss chard
  • Bean sprots
  • Bamboo shoots

Grains and Carbs

  • Brown rice, cooked
  • Rice noodles, cooked
  • Bulgar wheat, cooked
  • Quinoa, cooked
  • Farro, cooked
  • Millet, cooked
  • Barley, cooked

Seasonings

  • Soy sauce, low-sodium
  • Scallions, sliced
  • Crushed red pepper flakes
  • Sesame oil
  • Fresh cilantro