We expect brilliant, easy recipes from The Pioneer Woman's kitchen. Food Network star Ree Drummond comes up with fail-proof food and shows us how to make it in clear instructions that are impossible not to follow. But this 7-can soup might be the easiest meal of all time. Cheesy and packed with veggies, this comfort food soup is best served alongside the fireplace.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The recipe notes for seven cans, a hunk of cheese, and very little cook time and prep time. That's it. All you need are seven cans and a box of Velveeta. (Seven Cans and a Box of Velveeta is totally the name of my next alt-country band.) All you need is a can opener!
View this post on Instagram
Okay, it's not seven random cans. This seven can soup is more like a cross between a bean stew and a vegetable soup, but you've got a lot of leeway in the canned chili, beans, and vegetable department. It's as if your Italian bean soup and hamburger soup had a baby and fed it taco seasoning.
Here's the basic list of the seven cans in the 7-can soup recipe:
- Meat-only Chili
- Kidney Beans
- Pinto Beans
- Black Beans
- Diced Tomatoes
- Corn (Ree uses Fiesta corn, with red and green peppers in it)
- Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
Cook N Home Stainless Steel Stockpot
With a 20-quart stockpot, you could do more than double up on beans. Is there an ingredient you would add to this recipe?
Don't like pinto beans? Double up on the black beans or add a can of white beans or ranch style beans instead. Try fire-roasted tomatoes. If you're not a fan of Rotel, use another can of tomatoes.
The next best thing about this recipe is that the instructions are basically open and pour. That's right, there's no draining the cans or carefully adding the ingredients in a certain order. Just open the cans and dump them into a large pot on the stove top. (Or as Ree says, "Just violently throw them into the pot." I love that this recipe doubles as a stress-reliever.)
Over high heat, bring the soup to a boil, then let the mixture simmer over low heat for 10 or 15 minutes (use that time to find the appropriate 7-can soup wine; we suggest a nice semi-dry Riesling, a fruit-forward Syrah, or whatever looks best at Trader Joe's). Season with salt and pepper.
Smooth Edge Can Opener
Once the soup is hot, there is only thing left to add. Toss in Velveeta, either cubed or in one giant hunk, brave Pioneer Woman style. Let the cheese melt, creating a creamy base. Serve with cornbread or tortilla chips, and maybe a dollop of sour cream and avocado slices, for a hearty meal.
This 7-can soup is perfect for busy fall evenings when everyone is rushing around and the temperature has finally ducked below the unbearable mark. In fact, I think we might have to call this "Feast of the Seven Cans" though no one will ever know the source of this delicious dish unless you tell them (or they look in your recycling bin).
Get the whole recipe here.
This post was originally published on April 19, 2019.
