Great Lunch or Dinner Idea

Soups/Stews

We are huge fans of soups and stews. I could eat them all year ‘round, but my family prefers them in the cooler months. I have a vegetable beef soup base to which I add any number of items I have on hand. So far, no combination has been rejected. Every time I make a pot of soup, the kids say, “Oh, Mamma, that looks/smells GOOD! When’s dinner?”

The beauty of the soup/stew base is that it is SO EASY to use and add to! You do not have to spend hours chopping and dicing vegetables!

Base: Campbell’s Vegetable Beef condensed soup, either 2 small cans or 1 large family-size can. To this I add any combination of the following:

1 can blackeyed peas, not drained
1 can whole kernel corn, not drained
1 can carrots, not drained
1 can kidney beans (any color), drained
1 can peas, not drained
1-2 cans diced potatoes, not drained
1 large or 2 small cubes of beef builllon
(frozen peas, carrots, corn, or green beans can be substituted for the canned items)
1 can corned beef hash or about 1 cup of cooked ground beef
Seasoning to taste

You can add 1-2 cups of water for a soupier consistency, or drain some of the vegetables before adding for a more stew-like consistency.

Serve with crackers. The soup costs about 75 cents a can. The veggies are usually about 50 cents a can in my area. The corned beef is about $1 a can. Ground beef is generally $2.25 a pound. I can make a huge pot of soup that will feed 8-10 people or more for about $6.00. Crackers are $2.00/box, and we would use ½ box. Total cost: $7.00 (88 cpp if serving 8 people)

If you prefer a stew, you can serve it over rice.

Of course, if you have special dietary needs which require less fat or sodium, you can buy the healthier soup versions and canned vegetables which are available. The price will go up some, but it is still cheaper than eating out!