Salad in a Jar

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Texas Minestrone & My Favorite Can Opener

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Texas Minestrone is a spicy version of minestrone using mostly cans. It’s a handy pantry recipe. Leave the meat out for a hearty vegetarian meal.

TEXAS MINESTRONE

I’m not too proud to admit that preparing this recipe is going to require a can opener.  Are you surprised? You shouldn’t be. Anybody who will eat chopped romaine lettuce stored in a vacuum-packed Mason jar every day for lunch obviously doesn’t need gourmet food at every meal, although I wouldn’t mind if didn’t affect my waistline.

There are those days. Surely you have them, too–days when you just don’t have the energy or motivation to cook a nice meal. Not always, but I frequently prefer to throw something together at home rather than eat out, even if it’s not fresh and/or fancy. I know, I know. Canned beans, canned vegetables, and condensed soups often contain too much sodium, but they usually have fewer calories and more nutrition than the hamburger and french fries at the local drive-thru.

Thanks to my friend Joan who gave me this recipe, this soup has become a cool-weather staple at our house and the perfect candidate for my new “Super Simple Suppers” category. All the ingredients can be stored in the pantry and/or freezer, making it easy to keep on hand. If your family is small, you could eat it for days. Thankfully, it freezes well, so you have that option.

 

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Texas Minestrone

  • Author: Paula Rhodes
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

An easy can-opener soup with a nice kick for your tastebuds

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 cans minestrone soup (I use Campbells)
  • 2 cans Ranch-style beans
  • 1 10 ounce can Rotel tomatoes
  • 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 2 cubes beef bouillon
  • 4 cups water

Instructions

  1. Brown ground beef in a large pot. Drain excess fat if necessary. Add onions and cook until softened.
  2. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
  3. Even better the next day.

Keywords: Pantry Food, Can-opener soup, Minestrone recipe

 

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  3. Made this last night, but didn’t want to eat leftovers for 3 days, so I omitted one can of minestrone and the can of diced tomatoes. It turned out great, and just the right amount of leftover soup. Our family does not like a strong tomato base anyway, so the one can of Rotel was just right. Take care of my kids tonight!

    Reply

  4. I’m coveting your can opener. 🙂 I love the ones that cut the lids right off and don’t leave sharp edges. The soup looks great- good quick suppers are appreciated here. 🙂

    Reply

  5. Thanks for the recipe and the review on the can opener. I broke my right wrist three months ago, and I still need others to open cans for me. I will be checking out this little beauty 😉

    Reply

  7. So isn’t this a coincidence: I am looking for a good can opener, an electric one, I’m always scared of cutting my fingers on the lid and my birthday’s comming up.
    I know what I’ll be getting!
    Hamilton Beach should be very grateful to you (as am I)

    Reply

  8. That does look like on hearty minestrone! Thanks for the unsolicited review of the can opener. We still use a manual one but have been looking for an electric lately. I like the look of the sleek lines of this Hamilton Beach and the fact that you’ve been using it for years with no problems!

    Reply

    • Hi Lauren,
      Thanks for writing. I like the name, too, and it is deserved. The original recipe called for two cans of tomatoes with green chilis but I like it better with one can of regular diced tomatoes and one can of Rotel tomatoes. This Indiana girl can eat spicy stuff but I have limits. 🙂

      Reply

  10. Paula, I don’t have the Hamilton Beach can opener. I do have a hand held Tupperware can opener that cuts the lid the same way! I love it!

    Reply

  11. I have a manuel can opener that I purchased from Wal-Mart 8 years ago that does the same thing. Thankfully it is still working like a champ!

    Thank you for the new recipe! In my neck of the woods, we just got past some really nasty weather and lots of folks were without power for several days. So, it is a wise and good thing to be able to prepare a few meals (that also taste good) from canned foods. So whether it’s a time crunched day or a day without power, it’s good to be prepared!

    Reply

    • Hi Vicki,
      So glad you brought up the preparedness issue. This is a perfect recipe for that. If you leave out the meat, it can all come out of cans.

      Reply

      • Paula,
        Funny you should mention that. I’ve seen quite a few posts and videos about heat canning your own ground beef, beef cubes, and chicken. I think I just may give it a try – in small batches – to taste test the results. I’ll let you know how they turn out…
        Vicki

        Reply

      • For throw it together meals, I sometimes use the canned beef from Costco. Haven’t seen it anywhere else, but it is just chunks of beef in broth packed tightly, sort of like they do canned chicken. Makes a good pantry staple and good chili mixed with canned beans and tomatoes.
        I have canned venison, both ground and cubed. It worked well, but the pressure canners needed are large and pricey; and the time involved is considerable. If you try canning meat you need to use the latest USDA or Ball canning books and follow their instructions.

        Reply

  12. I have the same can opener. I had been jealous of my daughters for a couple of years and she gave me one for Christmas. I absolutely love it.

    Reply

  13. Yummy recipe, thanks for sharing. I’ve been wanting a “pantry” minestrone recipe. Just FYI, the can opener doesn’t cut the can, it breaks the seal, leaving no sharp edges. I have a hand held model that I love.

    Reply

    • Rozann,
      Very interesting comment about the can opener. On the Hamilton Beach website, it says “No more sharp lid edges—cuts can along the side for smooth, touchable lid.” But I am incline to believe you are right because sometimes, I can see (barely) the glue strands as I pull the lid off. Maybe the company says it that way so we can relate it to other can openers. Thanks for writing.

      Reply