Fall is here, and cool weather heralds the beginning of soup season. Lots of people enjoy soup year-round, but I like to save it for fall and winter. Growing up in the Deep South, I learned a bowl of hot soup is just about the last thing you want on days with 90% humidity.
But it’s sub-50 degrees right now, and I can’t think of anything better than a slow cooker filled with one of my favorite concoctions, Tomato Veggie Soup.
It’s not just heartwarming and stick-to-your-ribs good; it’s also a total guilty pleasure—not because it’s bad for you or superexpensive, but it all comes from cans. That’s right, cans. I’m normally one who would roast tomatoes with onion and garlic and spend hours happily slaving away at the stovetop, but not with this recipe. Not even a little bit. This is as simple & delicious as it gets, folks:
2 large cans (28 or 29 oz.) tomato sauce
2 cans each of corn, lima beans and cut green beans, drained
1 can of vegetable stock
Pour it all into a stock pot or your slow cooker, then, when it’s good and piping hot, salt and pepper to taste. Serve each bowl with cooked medium shell pasta or egg noodles. It makes a large batch, and I love bringing it to work during the week.
Plus, the variations are endless. Like carrots? Throw ’em in there! You won’t miss the meat, but if you want, you could add rotisserie chicken. Have a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies? Add it for some heat.
Sometimes, when it’s as simple as this 9-can soup, it’s hard to mess up. You ever notice that it’s when you try to get all fancy with cooking, things just don’t work out? So here’s to keeping it simple. And delicious.
John McMillan
Associate Editor, Simple & Delicious