Change Up Plain Rice Into A Hearty Side With Just One Budget-Friendly Canned Ingredient

Rice is nothing if not versatile, as evidenced by countless hearty rice recipes from cuisines across the globe. Give it some good companions, and it can be anything you want. As a side dish, rice doesn't need much to impress. Sometimes, just a can of condensed soup is enough to make it worth your while. Simmered into one luscious blend of flavor and texture, it makes for a budget-friendly side that fills out the entire meal.

Some of the best canned soups to use for this simple recipe are cream of mushroom and cream of chicken. Already creamy and rich, they only get more toothsome when paired with rice. As the soup coats every grain, both ingredients meld into silky, luscious spoonfuls. If cooked together, the rice also absorbs the liquid and thickens for an even more tender and fluffy mouthfeel.

There's also something to be said about the flavors. While we've all grown familiar with these soups and their decadently savory taste, there's a special sense of comfort that arrives along with the rice. Whether it's this grain's subtle warmth or its aromatic undertone, the way rice fuses itself into the soup will never cease to delight.

Instant rice is the simplest way to turn canned soup into a real dinner, but leftover rice works just as well. Boil the soup first before lowering it to a simmer, then add the rice. Season as needed, and in just about five to 10 minutes, your rice and soup dish is ready. While you're at it, see if there are any leftovers that can also bulk up the dish and fully upgrade it to main-dish status. This can be a few chunks of chicken or bits of bacon and sausages from your earlier breakfast. Taken straight from your pantry, canned veggies and peas are other foolproof choices. If you can afford a little extra effort, throw these ingredients into a baking pan and top off with cheese, then bake them into a chicken and rice casserole.

Even within this simplicity, you can still switch things up, starting with going beyond just cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soups. For example, a cream of potato soup is wondrous for whenever you need something that really sticks to your ribs. For meals already loaded with hearty mains, other vegetable cream soups — such as cream of onion and cream of celery — are fantastic for offsetting those heavier flavors.

What's more, you can experiment with different rice varieties. Long-grain rice, such as basmati and jasmine, come with a gentle aroma that fuses beautifully into the rich soup. Wild rice, on the other hand, delights with its nutty depth and a slight chew. On the side of spiced complexity, Mexican rice will check all of your boxes.