Ree Drummond's 7-Can Soup Is The Cheap, Endlessly Customizable Dinner You Need To Memorize

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Known for creating comforting eats from her home on a beautiful ranch, Ree Drummond, host of the homey cooking show "The Pioneer Woman", makes meals that are easy for viewers to identify with. On one episode, chef Drummond shares a 7-can soup recipe that's as simple to make as it sounds.

Using seven different 15-ounce cans of ingredients — three types of beans (pinto, black, and kidney), sweetcorn, a no-bean chili, crushed tomatoes, plus a can of tomatoes and green chillies — she creates a well-rounded, hearty soup with absolutely no prep work and no real cooking involved. According to chef Drummond, this recipe can be customized in every way, but the formula is the same. Drummond says, "Seven cans of whatever you want. Don't drain the cans. Just violently throw them into the pot." Not only are canned ingredients precooked, but many of them are preseasoned or elaborated with spices and aromatics. So, you don't need to create a mirepoix foundation or add myriad spices and herbs to the mix. Canned beans tend to come in a salty solution which we usually opt to drain and rinse, but in the case of a soup, the salty liquid is a boon. Like most soup recipes, you'll bring the ingredients to a boil, reducing it to a simmer so that all the ingredients and seasonings will meld into a cohesive soup. Drummond recommends adding a meltable type of cheese to the soup towards the end of its simmer for a creamy, savory element. From start to finish, a 7-can soup should take under 30 minutes to make.

Ree Drummond herself admits that there are countless 7-can soup recipes out there that use entirely different canned ingredient combinations from her bean, chili, and tomato mix. So, while the chili brings a meaty protein to the mix, there are plenty of other canned proteins to choose from, like canned beef, chicken, pork, or fish. Canned chicken brands are as plentiful as canned chili brands. So, you could make a white chicken chili with cans of chicken, white beans like navy or great northern beans, a can of Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles, a can of fire roasted crushed tomatoes, and corn.

You could make corn chowder using two cans of kerneled corn, two cans of creamed corn, a can of green chilies, a can of potatoes, and a can of coconut milk. Finish the soup with a squeeze of lime juice and a handful of French's crispy fried onions. Canned beef is a great resource to use for a modified beef stew recipe, using canned potatoes, canned carrots, stewed tomatoes, and canned peas. Instead of thickening the broth with cheese, you could use a cup of heavy cream. Create a chicken tortilla soup with a can of hominy, canned chicken, Rotel, black beans, and canned tomatoes. Stir in a dollop or three of cream cheese for an ultra-rich and creamy taste.