Why your next budget meal should be a bean and beef soup
Forget strict recipes and expensive cuts. By leveraging grocery store sales and pantry staples, you can transform simple ingredients like New Zealand ground beef and refried beans into a rich, velvety soup that rivals even your favorite chili.
In the modern grocery landscape, particularly in cities like Toronto, the variety of available meats is shifting. Shoppers are increasingly seeing imports from regions such as Australia, Mexico, and New Zealand. For the budget-conscious cook, this presents an opportunity: by focusing on what is currently on sale, such as New Zealand ground beef, you can create high-quality meals without the premium price tag.
The secret to this particular dish lies not in a rigid set of instructions, but in a flexible approach to pantry staples. The foundation of the soup involves browning the meat in a heavy pot before adding aromatics like onions and jalapeños. To elevate the dish from a standard broth-based soup to something more substantial, the addition of refried beans serves as a critical mechanism. This single ingredient provides a creamy, velvety texture that distinguishes the soup from a traditional, thinner chili.
Building the flavor profile requires a mix-and-match strategy using items often found in the cupboard. The base can be constructed using 1L of stock—whether beef, chicken, vegetable, or even water—combined with two 540 mL cans of various beans, such as pinto, black, or navy. Small additions, like a 113 mL can of chopped green chilies and 398 mL of refried beans, along with salsa and tomatoes, complete the dish. When cooked covered on low heat for approximately one hour, these disparate elements meld into a comforting, cohesive meal.
Source: Dare I say... Better Than Chili? Easy Soup with On Sale Ingredients
