Today’s post is Part IV of the “Saving Money in the Kitchen” series that began Tuesday. You can read Part I here, Part II here and Part III here.
The response to this frugal-foods series has been wonderful. I’m delighted that so many of you want to stretch your food dollars further. It feels like we’re part of a small savings club — yes, I admit that sounds dorky — but saving a few dollars really can give a little thrill.
I promised this post yesterday, and I’m sorry for the delay. To make it up to you, I’m sharing my recipe for 5-Minute Homemade Creamy Tomato Soup. No, it is not ketchup soup. Yes, it truly takes about five minutes. It’s far better — and healthier — than the canned alternatives, and surprisingly it can be less expensive than the national brands when they’re on sale. Homemade, from-scratch soup that tastes better, is better for you, and costs less than the store-bought stuff.
But first, a little more on saving…
*Ketchup soup: the notorious budget-friendly option that actually tastes like watered-down ketchup. Unless you’re pilfering condiment packets (don’t), it rarely beats homemade or generic versions for cost or quality. And stealing is wrong, so just don’t.
Remember the list I’ve been referring to — my working title “The Better Living List”? I haven’t thought of a snazzier name yet, so suggestions are welcome. Here it is again:
- Know your preferences.
- Keep staples on hand.
- Know what you have on hand.
- Plan potential meals and use what you already have before you shop.
- Know what you need beyond what you have to make those meals.
- Build flexibility into your plan.
- Build change into your plan.
- Have a back-up plan.
- Relax, dangit! It’s food!
We covered points one through five previously (You can read Part I here, Part II here and Part III here.) Today’s focus is on points six through nine — flexibility, change, backup plans, and the most important: relaxing — and then the soup recipe.
Build flexibility into your plan.
Flexibility is crucial to saving money. That’s why a list of your family’s likes, dislikes, and favorite meals is so useful. Here’s one real-life example: I planned a week centered on a large batch of taco meat and intended to buy eight pounds of ground beef at $2.99 per pound, which would have cost about $24.00. At the meat counter I found a pork shoulder on sale for $0.69 per pound, so I bought an eight-pound pork shoulder for about $5.52. By substituting shredded pork in recipes — tacos, pork tortilla soup, barbecue pork pizza, pulled pork quesadillas, and nachos — I saved roughly $18.48. That flexibility cut nearly $20 off my bill.
How do you add that flexibility? Keep your list of meals and preferred ingredients handy. When you see a strong sale, consult the list to decide whether the item is worth buying. Learn common substitutions — for example, slow-cooked shredded pork can often replace ground beef. If you decide to change your meal plan in the store, write the new plan down; I’ve forgotten my own brainstormed menu between checkout and the car more than once.
Build change into your plan
Rotate in new meals regularly so you don’t get bored. I’m fickle about food; introducing a different dish now and then keeps cooking interesting. Even modest changes — Beef Sukiyaki instead of beef stew one week — refresh the routine. My mother used to assign ethnic themes to different nights, and it’s a habit I remember fondly.
Have a back-up plan
Prepared, packaged convenience foods aren’t my preference, but it’s realistic to keep a few quick, reliable items on hand for nights when everything goes wrong: a jar of pasta sauce, dried pasta or frozen ravioli, and a frozen loaf of garlic bread. Those nights happen — oversleeping, traffic, spilled laundry, forgotten meat — and a simple stand-by prevents complete mealtime collapse. A back-up plan protects your overall strategy from being abandoned on a bad day.
Relax dangit! It’s food!
I love good food — enough to write, teach, and cook it — but I won’t elevate food to an idol at the expense of my family’s wellbeing. I aim to keep my family nourished and make sensible choices about where to spend more (for us: some organic produce, not high fructose corn syrup, and certain fresh items) and where to save (potatoes, tomatoes, onions, corn). Your priorities may differ, and that’s fine. Decide what matters to you and don’t feel guilty. Unless there are severe allergies or major health issues, we can all take a breath and relax. You don’t need to achieve locavore perfection to feed your family well.
*Sidebar: Eating local has been widely discussed recently. I’d love to hear your thoughts: does eating local matter to you, and why or why not?
Tomorrow I’ll dig into the “No-no List” from Part II and announce the winner of the Korintje Cinnamon giveaway. But for now: soup.
This is not just any soup. This recipe makes eight cups of creamy, silky, intensely tomatoey soup in about five minutes for roughly $1.50. No strange preservatives, and you control the sodium without paying premium prices for “low sodium” canned soup.
Price breakdown:
- $0.59 for a 48-ounce can of tomato puree
- $0.00 for 3-3/4 cups tap water (assuming potable tap water)
- $0.04 for 2 tablespoons cornstarch (from a $1.00, 1-pound box)
- $0.75 for 1 cup half-and-half (from a $1.50 pint)
- $0.01 for 1 teaspoon kosher salt (from a larger container)
- $0.11 for 1/2 teaspoon celery salt and a pinch of Italian seasonings (from bulk spices)
- Total: about $1.50 for the whole batch.
Eight cups of delicious tomato bisque for $1.50 and five minutes of active time — not bad. There’s a printer-friendly version of the recipe available if you prefer a plain copy.
5-Minute Homemade Creamy Tomato Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 (48 ounce) can tomato puree (or crushed tomatoes for more texture)
- 3-3/4 cups plus 1/4 cup fresh water, divided
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- A pinch of Italian seasonings
- 1 cup half-and-half
Instructions: In a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, stir together the tomato puree, 3-3/4 cups water, kosher salt, granulated garlic, celery salt, and Italian seasonings. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. In a small bowl or cup, whisk the cornstarch with the remaining 1/4 cup water until smooth. While stirring the simmering soup vigorously, pour in the cornstarch mixture. Return the soup to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the half-and-half. Serve immediately or refrigerate, tightly covered, for up to a week.
We enjoy this soup with grilled cheese sandwiches on homemade rye, but it’s equally good with oyster crackers or as a starter. Occasionally I swirl a bit of heavy cream into individual bowls when serving — because cream makes everything a little more indulgent.