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Easy Texas Minestrone Soup

March 15, 2013

Easy Texas Minestrone Soup is a spicy version of minestrone that I like to call a “can-opener soup.”  Leave the ground beef 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.

There are those days. Surely you have them, too. Sometimes you just don’t have the energy or motivation to cook a nice meal.

Typically, I prefer to throw something together at home rather than eat out, even if it’s not fresh and/or fancy. Yes, I know. Canned beans, canned vegetables, and condensed soups often contain too much sodium. On the other hand, they usually have fewer calories and more nutrition than food from the local drive-thru.

Thanks to my friend Joan who gave me this recipe. Easy Texas Minestrone is a cool-weather staple at our house. It is 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, too.

Yield: 8 servings

Texas Minestrone

Texas Minestrone
An easy can-opener soup with a nice kick for your tastebuds
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

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.

Recommended Products

  • OXO Good Grips Can Opener
    OXO Good Grips Can Opener
  • Campbell's Condensed Soup, Minestrone, 10.75 Ounce
    Campbell's Condensed Soup, Minestrone, 10.75 Ounce

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. But don't worry. This doesn't change the price you pay.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1 serving

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 313 Total Fat: 13g Saturated Fat: 5g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 6g Cholesterol: 55mg Sodium: 1307mg Carbohydrates: 27g Fiber: 7g Sugar: 8g Protein: 22g
© Paula of saladinajar.com
Cuisine: American / Category: Soup
You won't believe how tasty this can-opener soup is

Posts Related to Easy Texas Minestrone Soup

  • Vegetable Beef Soup
  • Vegetable Cheese Chowder
  • Veggie Chili
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Reader Interactions

Comments

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  1. Vince Pirolli

    November 27, 2018 at 11:40 pm

    did you drain the ranch beans or use the juice?

    Reply
    • Paula

      November 28, 2018 at 4:18 pm

      Vince,

      I do not drain. But it’s really personal preference. I like the texture it lends to the soup. Paula

      Reply
  2. Lisa

    November 27, 2018 at 2:18 pm

    Can I use minestrone with Italian sausage?

    Reply
    • Paula

      November 28, 2018 at 4:18 pm

      Absolutely. Sounds delicious.

      Reply
  3. sis

    March 24, 2013 at 4:18 pm

    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. Betty

    March 22, 2013 at 10:19 pm

    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. Jocelyn

    March 20, 2013 at 7:20 am

    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
  6. Thekitchwitch

    March 18, 2013 at 10:51 am

    Soaking/boiling beans is a pain in the arse. I always use canned, without shame!

    Reply
  7. Natasha

    March 18, 2013 at 9:07 am

    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. Paula

    March 18, 2013 at 8:53 am

    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
  9. Lauren @ Dallas Duo Bakes

    March 16, 2013 at 10:40 pm

    That soup looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it! Plus, I love the name “Texas” Minestrone 🙂

    Reply
    • Paula

      March 17, 2013 at 7:26 am

      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. Lois

    March 16, 2013 at 3:16 pm

    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
    • Paula

      March 17, 2013 at 7:24 am

      Hi Lois,
      I did not realize Tupperware had one. Is it electric or manual?

      Reply
  11. Vicki

    March 16, 2013 at 9:11 am

    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
    • Paula

      March 17, 2013 at 7:17 am

      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
      • Vicki

        March 18, 2013 at 9:45 am

        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
        • Vicki

          March 18, 2013 at 9:48 am

          And I just had to add that although many kitchens enjoy electric can openers, always have a manual one as a back up to be able to open cans in a power outage.

          Reply
        • Paula

          March 19, 2013 at 9:11 am

          Hi Vicki,
          Hope yours tastes better than my mom’s did many years ago. 🙂

          Reply
      • Alice

        March 19, 2013 at 9:00 am

        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. Gaila C

    March 16, 2013 at 7:58 am

    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. Rozann

    March 16, 2013 at 7:28 am

    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
    • Paula

      March 16, 2013 at 7:37 am

      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
  14. Sarah Galvin (All Our Fingers in the Pie)

    March 15, 2013 at 8:29 pm

    That is an amazing can opener. The minestrone looks great. Easy is good!

    Reply
  15. Lorraine

    March 15, 2013 at 7:53 pm

    Oh, I have no problem using pantry items especially when the finish result looks as good as your minestrone!

    Nice can opener!

    Reply

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