For A Filling Soup Ready In Minutes, Grab These 5 Affordable Canned Ingredients

Rather than heating up tinned soup from the grocery store, there's an easy way to make your own at home — and it still takes advantage of affordable must-have canned foods. This soup hack uses just five cans of ingredients you may already have sitting in your pantry: whole beans, corn, Ro-Tel tomatoes, refried beans, and chicken broth. The combination makes for a hearty meal that comes together in minutes.

It has the familiar flavors of a Tex-Mex-inspired bean soup, but the secret here is the refried beans. They melt into the broth as it heats up, giving the soup a thicker, creamier texture without heavy cream or flour. Rather than tossing in another type of whole bean to chew on, you still get the variety and nutrition (hello fiber) along with a creamy consistency.

Simply add one can of each of the ingredients to a pot over medium-low heat. Black or pinto beans are typical, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand, like cannellini or kidney. Any variety of refried beans will work too. As for the tomatoes, Ro-Tel is a classic brand, but any diced tomato with green chiles will work. Heat everything until it's all warmed up and the refried beans have completely incorporated into the broth, stirring frequently so they don't stick. It's your choice whether to drain the corn and black beans. If you don't, the broth will be thinner. If you do, you'll have a thicker broth, but you can always thin it with extra chicken broth if necessary.

Using this five-ingredient hack for simple homemade bean soup is perhaps one of the easiest and most budget-friendly ways to quickly whip up a nutritionally dense meal. The beans already have around 13 to 15 grams of protein per cup, but you can kick up the protein content by tossing in some shredded rotisserie chicken, cooked ground turkey, or leftover taco-seasoned beef.

You can also make a vegetarian version of this soup. Just switch out the chicken broth for vegetable broth, and, because you can't assume your canned refried beans are vegetarian, check the label carefully. Some are made with lard or include meats like bacon or chorizo. You can also step up the veggie content by adding in some other types of canned produce, like carrots or pearl onions.

The spiciness is easy to adjust, as well. Try using diced tomatoes with habaneros to kick up the spice a notch, or finish each bowl with a few shakes of your favorite store-bought hot sauce. You can even add one more canned ingredient to the mix, like pickled jalapeños or salsa verde. For some added smoky heat, stir in a little chipotle in adobo or a spoonful of hot smoked paprika. And don't overlook the toppings — try a handful of shredded cheddar, a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, and some fresh cilantro.