Canned soups as a base for a budget meal

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jd_1138

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Of course, from scratch soup is best, but canned soup is so cheap and easy. I was wondering if anyone has any recipes to kick it up a notch? I think I will add some orzo in and see how it turns out, also maybe more veggies and broth.

Here's a picture of our canned soup section in the pantry. I think we have about 50 cans -- mostly vegetable beef with barley and also chicken noodle.
 

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canned soups as a base for a budget meal

One of my favorite doctored soups is cream of mushroom. I add powdered and dried porcinis, a can of button mushrooms with liquid, dried onion flakes, and a bit of sherry or port.

I think a squeeze of lemon or lime is nice in any chicken soup.
 
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If you like tuna, I make a great fall-back meal when we're really hungry and have no time or energy to cook. It originally called for one can of tuna, back in the day when those cans held 7 oz of fish. Now I use two cans.

2 cans tuna
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can mixed vegetables (like Veg-all) (#1)
At least 1 cup pre-cooked rice (like Uncle Ben's Minute Rice) (#2)
* The reason I say "at least one cup" is because Himself likes his drier; I prefer more moist. The original recipe called for 1 cup. I initially mix in a 1/4 cups, divide into two casserole dishes, and add more rice to his dish.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Drain liquid from canned vegetables into your mixing bowl (or, better yet, mix in the casserole you'll be baking in). Add mushroom soup and mix until smooth. Add in your drained tuna, rice, and vegetables. Mix until combined. Put into baking dish, cover, and bake for 30 minutes. If you want a little cheese on top, add grated cheese the last five minutes. (I like cheddar)

#1 If you have an Aldi store near you, I can recommend both their mixed vegetables and their pre-cooked rice. If you decide to use the brown rice instead of white (I use the brown), it needs a little more pre-cook before you mix it in. I bring the recommended amount of water to a boil, pour in the measured rice, stir, cover, and wait five minutes. Then I add the rice to the rest of the ingredients in the bowl/casserole.

This was one of Himself's favorite quick meals when he was in college. 50 years later, it' still a good, quick supper.
 
Canned soups are a great base to use for the start of a casserole or a lot of other dishes. I just have to be careful using them even just as soup. They are very high in sodium. So I read the back label first. :angel:
 
You say you have beef & barley soup and chicken noodle soup.

To the beef one, I might add finely chopped onion and mushrooms, lightly sauteed first. Perhaps some cooked diced carrots.

To the chicken noodle soup, I would add bits of cooked chicken and chopped parsley.
 
You say you have beef & barley soup and chicken noodle soup.

To the beef one, I might add finely chopped onion and mushrooms, lightly sauteed first. Perhaps some cooked diced carrots.

To the chicken noodle soup, I would add bits of cooked chicken and chopped parsley.

We have a saying in our family. Anytime someone finds a piece of chicken in Chicken Noodle Soup, "take it out and save it so you can send it back for the next can of soup!" Very few and far between any chicken pieces in their soup. :angel:
 
Cream of mushie is the base we use for hamburger stroganoff. The COM and Lipton onion soup mix give our Salisbury steaks their flavor. Of course both dishes also get L&P. We keep the good homemade stuff for other things. Kind of like using the cheap balsamic for everyday use and the 120 year old for special meals. Karen favors her chili made with tomato soup. That is about it for our uses of canned soup.

I consider a large batch of minestrone to be very economical as it freezes well and is enough for several meals. Remember to save and freeze those parmesan bones for soups and sauces.
 
I use cream of mushroom a couple of ways. DH occasionally has a taste for the traditional tuna-noodle casserole. I add 1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce and a half tsp of Dijon mustard to the mix.

Another favorite is to mix a can of COM soup with 2 tbsp Dijon mustard. Season chicken breasts or thighs with salt and pepper and brown in oil in a skillet. Remove them from the pan and set aside. Add 1 cup chicken stock or water to the pan; scrape up browned bits with a spatula. Add soup mixture, 2 cups sliced veggies (I use onions, bell peppers and celery) and chicken back to the pan and stir well. Cover and cook over low heat till chicken is cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve chicken and veggies with sauce over rice.
 
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To kick up the flavor of canned soups, I would add more of what's already in there, or add herbs. I like to add a little Maggi seasoning to bean with bacon soup. You could sauté diced onion, celery and minced garlic and add this mixture to many soups.
 
Canned soups are a great base to use for the start of a casserole or a lot of other dishes. I just have to be careful using them even just as soup. They are very high in sodium. So I read the back label first. :angel:

They have low-sodium versions. I think they even have salt-free versions.
 
One of the first things I've ever 'cooked' was a doctored up soup. I still do it to this day.

I can of vegetarian vegetable soup
1/2 can water
1/2 can white wine
1 knob of butter ( 1 tbs +/-, I just like the word knob)
1 cup ( about) of uncooked egg noodles
1 10 oz package of fresh mushrooms ( sliced)

-Throw it all in a pot,mix,bring to low boil, cook til noodles are done.
-Watch and stir every couple of minutes to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom (because it will)
- May have to add a little water if it gets too thick ( or the noodles absorb too much liquid)
- If more liquid is added, may need to add more salt.
I serve it over an 'end piece' of white bread, cause no one eats it anyway.
The bread absorbs the liquid once you pour it on top, and its like more of a stew than a soup.

A takes all of 10 - 15 minutes from start to finish.
Is it great? no, is it good and quick and satisfying ( and for me nostalgic), absolutely.
 
I was brought up as a Campbell's kid!

I must have swallowed an ocean of Campbell's chicken noodle soup, my generations version of Ramen noodles. :ermm::ohmy::LOL:

Here are a few ideas that I have used over the years.

Combining a couple different canned soups to create a new soup is an old trick from the folks at Campbell's, remember this one? 1 can cream of tomato + 1 can split pea + 1 can milk or water = Puree Mongole.

or "Blushing Bunny". 1 can cream of tomato soup + 1/2 can milk + 1 can shredded cheddar cheese (approx. 1 cup) + a shot of Worcestershire sauce. Serve over toast for a quick comfort meal.

Oven Beef Stew

Cut a pound of chuck into cubes. A couple of carrots, potatoes, onions, celery ribs cut into chunks and a few whole button mushrooms wouldn't hurt. Put everything into a casserole with a tight fitting lid, add a 10 3/4 ounce can of undiluted cream of tomato soup, salt, pepper, a bay leaf and a shot of Worcestershire sauce. No need to brown the meat, just toss everything together and bake covered in a 325 to 350 oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

I leave out the potatoes and serve it over mashed potatoes.

[FONT=Verdana, serif]Copper Pennies[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana, serif]

1 pound of raw carrots, peeled and sliced thin, about 4 cups[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, serif]
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]1/2 of a medium onion sliced very thin[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]1/2 of a green or red bell pepper, sliced very thin[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]

Dressing (this is good on tossed salad, great for a crowd)
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]
1 can of condensed tomato soup[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, serif]
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]3/4 cup of granulated sugar[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]1/4 cup of oil[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]3/4 cup of apple cider vinegar[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]1 tablespoon of Worcestershire[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]1 tablespoon prepared mustard [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]salt and pepper, to taste[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]

[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]Boil sliced carrots until tender and toss with onion and bell peppers. .[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, serif]Put all dressing ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for approx. 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, serif]Pour hot dressing over vegetables and marinate for 24 hours.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, serif]It amazes me how the folks at Campbell's have influenced an entire nation generation after generation.[/FONT]
 
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If you use canned foods, here's a recipe from my days as a boy scout.

Brown a pound of ground beef and a small onion. Add COM soup, a (16 oz) can of diced potatoes, 8 oz. cans of mushrooms, peas and corn. Stir to combine, heat through and serve.
 
I have seen the low sodium, but not the salt free. Will have to go on the hunt for them. :angel:


I use the low sodium canned soups exclusively. They're not that bad. I think I recall no-sodium soup, it was really flat tasting.
 
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I'm not in any way trying to be judgemental but I'd like to make a couple of points.
When you buy canned soup you're paying for a lot of water.
If it's your family's budget you are focusing on here's some advice.
Flour is cheap. Table butter is too when used sparingly.
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.
Boil a quarts of water.
Put the cool roux back the pot and pour in about a 1/2 quart of boiling BTB flavor based water. Whisk whisk whisk. Add more water if the now soup base is too thick.
Buy jars of BTB flavor base. There are lots of BTB bases available. I have BTB Turkey base, BTB Chicken base, BTB Fish base, and BTB Lobster base. The BTB base has sodium so I wait until the soup is made before adding any salt for seasoning.
Add the BTB to the boiling water. Mix well and then add the boiling flavored base to the roux.
You only need a 1 1/2 T of the base for each quart of water.
Sorry, I'm repeating myself.
By choosing which BTB flavor base to use you can go in any direction you want to. You have a soup base you can add anything you want to.
Chicken, turkey, beef, fish/veg.
Of course you can double or triple the ingredients to make a greater volume.
When I make a roux I make a lot and freeze it. I follow Escoffier's method of making a roux: 10 T clarified butter and 12 T 'dextrinized' APF. I let it cool and roll it in cling wrap and later slice off what I need.
 
Campbells soups are condensed (at least here in UK) i.e. you are not paying for the water, which is added when reconstituting it.
 
I'm not in any way trying to be judgemental but I'd like to make a couple of points.
When you buy canned soup you're paying for a lot of water.
If it's your family's budget you are focusing on here's some advice.
Flour is cheap. Table butter is too when used sparingly.
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.
Boil a quarts of water.
Put the cool roux back the pot and pour in about a 1/2 quart of boiling BTB flavor based water. Whisk whisk whisk. Add more water if the now soup base is too thick.
Buy jars of BTB flavor base. There are lots of BTB bases available. I have BTB Turkey base, BTB Chicken base, BTB Fish base, and BTB Lobster base. The BTB base has sodium so I wait until the soup is made before adding any salt for seasoning.
Add the BTB to the boiling water. Mix well and then add the boiling flavored base to the roux.
You only need a 1 1/2 T of the base for each quart of water.
Sorry, I'm repeating myself.
By choosing which BTB flavor base to use you can go in any direction you want to. You have a soup base you can add anything you want to.
Chicken, turkey, beef, fish/veg.
Of course you can double or triple the ingredients to make a greater volume.
When I make a roux I make a lot and freeze it. I follow Escoffier's method of making a roux: 10 T clarified butter and 12 T 'dextrinized' APF. I let it cool and roll it in cling wrap and later slice off what I need.

When someone has a dozen or more types of canned soup, it's impractical to suggest that they replace all that with homemade. And I'm not sure that buying all the ingredients needed would be much savings when you include the value of one's time to prepare it all.
 
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.
 
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