Canned soups as a base for a budget meal

[Aunt Bea]

I have been on both sides of the soup argument. Sometimes I start from scratch and sometimes I grab a can. As I get older the argument for grabbing the can and doctoring it up is gaining in the polls. It really depends on your circumstances.

Here are a couple more.

Souper Sloppy Joes
1 pound ground beef
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell’s Condensed Tomato Soup
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
Brown beef, add soup, water and mustard. Cook until bubbly and serve on burger buns.

Porcupine balls
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 c. uncooked long grain rice
1 slightly beaten egg
2 tbsp. finely chopped onions or equal dehydrated minced onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can condensed tomato soup or cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. water or milk
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Combine meat, rice, egg, onion, salt, dash pepper and 1/4 cup soup. Mix well; shape into 18-20 small balls and place in skillet.Mix remaining soup, water, and Worcestershire; pour over meat balls. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 40 minutes, stirring often. Serves 4-5.

 

[GotGarlic]

Yup, I go both ways, too, Aunt Bea. I love cooking and making things from scratch, but sometimes I don't have the time and/or energy to do it, and then it's nice to have pre-made items to fall back on.

 

[larry_stewart]

Many times Ill take an udon noodle soup ( which is one of those premade , add water, flavor packet and the noodles) , In addition, Ill toss in a few vegetable dumplings, tofu, bok toy, bamboo shoots, dried shiitake and tree ear mushrooms, splash of sesame oil, and Im good to go. So I go both ways as well

 

[Cooking Goddess]

...When you want to have soup make a basic roux. 2T flour>2T butter.
Stir together in a med. heat pot. Remove and put in the fridge to cool completely...A number of other steps....

You know, puffin, there are times the Hangry Monster rears her ugly head and needs to eat NOW. In the time it takes for the roux to "cool competely", someone could get killed around here. It is in the best interests of Himself that I have a couple of cans of Progresso ready-to-eat on hand so that I can resume being a normal person. He'd much rather I did a quick heat-and-eat supper, complete with canned soup and toasted sandwiches, than spend the time to make a from-scratch soup. He kinda likes to live. Sometimes you just have to pick your food fights.

 

[puffin3]

You know, puffin, there are times the Hangry Monster rears her ugly head and needs to eat NOW. In the time it takes for the roux to "cool competely", someone could get killed around here. It is in the best interests of Himself that I have a couple of cans of Progresso ready-to-eat on hand so that I can resume being a normal person. He'd much rather I did a quick heat-and-eat supper, complete with canned soup and toasted sandwiches, than spend the time to make a from-scratch soup. He kinda likes to live. Sometimes you just have to pick your food fights.

Like I posted I sure wasn't making any criticisms of anyone.
Years ago our cupboard had cans of soup in them too.
I was just saying that if the poster was so inclined and had the time and energy to premake a bunch of roux in the freezer and some BTB bases at hand they could give making the soup from scratch a try.
Just offering an alternative.

 

[puffin3]

Most Campbell's are condensed. I think Progresso is ready right from the can uncondensed.

Better Than Bouillon makes a low sodium chicken stock. I buy it at Costco. It's good, and I use it to fortify a lot of stuff. The lobster BTB interests me greatly, but I've never seen any BTB other than chicken and beef around these parts. My good friend Amazon will probably be helpful.

You can buy the lobster base from Amazon. $25 for three jars plus shipping.
The best lobster bisque I've ever tasted. I add a capful of Pernod to the bisque. It tastes like you're eating in a three star restaurant in S. France.

 

[GotGarlic]

Puffin3, I don't think anyone is taking it as a criticism. It's a matter of practicality.

 

[medtran49]

We make a baked chicken dish using cream of mushroom (or chicken) soup. You can use b/s breasts or thighs (obviously the less expensive choice), swiss cheese slices (we buy the store brand), leftover Pepperidge Farm stuffing cubes or crumbles, white wine, and a bit of butter, served over noodles. Place the chicken in the bottom of a baking dish, place a piece of cheese on top of each piece of chicken. Mix soup and about 2/3 to 3/4 of one of those little 4-pack bottles of white wine together. Pour over chicken/cheese pieces, sprinkle with the stuffing cubes/crumbles, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Bake in a 350 oven for 40-45 minutes. Serve over noodles.

We buy the regular size package of thighs, which usually has about 5-6 thighs depending on size to make this. If you don't want to use wine, you can just use water or chicken broth but the wine adds a nice flavor. This is one of our go-to meals when we are tired and don't feel like cooking or going out. Just assemble and stick it in the oven to bake, and boil water for the noodles.

There was a recipe using chicken and some kind of "cream of" soup that had a Mexican twist to it that somebody came up with or posted on here a while back. Thought I had saved it but can't find it now. I think it had poblano peppers, cilantro, ??, a casserole type dish I think? Never got around to making it but it sounded really good. Maybe somebody else will see my post and remember.

 

[medtran49]

Oh, I forgot to add we always save and freeze leftover PF stuffing cubes/crumbles (uncooked) to use in this dish. For some reason, I can't seem to edit my posts on the computer/browser I am using right now anymore.

 

[jd_1138]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will be trying them. Another way I make the soup is to double the amount of water I add. That way it cuts down on the sodium per serving. I just serve a bowl of it with a sandwich for a quick lunch. There are 3 people eating, so a small can of watered down soup feeds 3 with a little leftover for another meal.

Sort of Olive Twist-like meager serving, but it's pretty good. There are not much veggies or meat in the soup anyway even if you just add one can of water so watering it down even more is almost not even noticeable.

 

[GotGarlic]

jd, look into Better than Bouillon next time you're at the store. You just mix a teaspoon of the chicken (or other flavor) base with water and you have a tasty broth. This would add more flavor than water to your soup. I use it sometimes to make rice, too.

 

[CraigC]

As for me, canned soups are the worst thing ever, you could do the same soup by yourself, but it will be more delicious for the same sum

We've made some pretty good quick meals using canned soups for a base. As far as "worst things ever", any seafood from Asia ranks on top.

 

[buckytom]

My son makes a weird little meal using canned soup and a little cup of pre-cooked rice, and leftover chicken.

He heats up a can of lentil soup, then nukes the cup of rice and shreds or chops the chicken.

He turns the rice cup over in a big soup bowl so it retains the shape, then pours the lentil soup around it sorta like you would serve gumbo, and tops the soup with the chopped chicken and fresh parsley.

It's really good and quick, and I'm impressed by the plating.

 

[CakePoet]

I have Campbell cookbook some where, how to cook with soups. Soups I cant eat because my tummy is too sensitive. Shall I go and look for it?

 

[Rocklobster]

I have Campbell cookbook some where, how to cook with soups. Soups I cant eat because my tummy is too sensitive. Shall I go and look for it?

My favorite recipe in that book is the one for Tomato Soup. Ingredientsne can of Campbell's tomato soup...tomatoes....genius!

 

[CharlieD]

Dice some onions, carrots and potato, put your can of soup in the pot add some water and maybe herbs, cook long enough so potato and carrots are ready. Bam, poor man soup is done. Now take another step. Add some meatballs and cook them in soup. You mention orzo, great. You can add any grain or pasta you like.

 

[Flour]

I didn't think I would be here, but I realized today, that while I was sick with chicken pox month ago, husband had bought some soups "for me". I will probably make some crusty bread and do it like meatless s.o.s for the mushroom soup. The chicken noodle, I may keep until HE gets sick again. And the tomato will probably go into a curry.
I lived off jello, tuna, crackers, and water- was too nauseated to eat and mostly slept, but it was sweet he thought about it, right after he had shingles, which was how I got chicken pox lol.

 

[larry_stewart]

There's a local Indian restaurant I go to, and from time to time they offer an "Indian tomato soup". Id bet a years salary that all it is is a doctored up version of Campbell's Tomato Soup. It tastes just like it, with the addition of garlic, chili pepper for spice, cumin and some fresh cilantro. Iv'e done the same thing at home ( since I bought a case of Campbell's Tomato soup during a local ' can can sale'. Need to get rid of them, so I appreciate a little variety to change things up a bit.

 

[buckytom]

Lol, ShopRite can can sale?

 

[larry_stewart]

Lol, ShopRite can can sale?

Oh Yeah, been taking advantage of that since Got married and lived in Philly.
If you looked at my pantry, you're think you were in an aisle at Shoprite.