What a can of beans can do...

When life gives you canned beans make a killer soup!

Times are tough and we are all struggling one way or another. Peyton Manning is resorting to reffing and I am working at a baby products store because I just can't beat myself up enough for not having my dream of loving husband, five kids, two dogs, three fish and a rabbit.

But in the real world, folks are really struggling. How to make a box of boxed, canned and shrink wrapped food products last their family of four a week is real tough math folks. Just because life has given you canned beans, it doesn't mean the end of the culinary world.

Let me share with you what a can of beans can do!

Here is what you will need to assemble:

15-20 Cherry Tomatoes (depending on size) – I used Campari because BiLo Had them on sale for buy one get one free cartons. And, they are delicious.

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Chorizo Sausage (the ground kind you find next to the Queso and tortillas in the supper market)

1 onion

2 cans of white beans (Navy, Northern, Cannelloni)

3 cups of chicken or vegy stock

If you have Balsamic Vinegar and fresh parsley, all the better.

1 good pan/pot.

After you have rinsed your beautiful tomatoes, drizzle them with olive oil and liberal doses of salt and pepper. Roll the tomatoes around so they glisten all around like so:

Then roast them in your 375 degree oven for 15 minutes or so.

In your stove top pan begin to heat a light sprinkling of oil to cook your sausage. Careful, 'cause this sausage can fill your house with a crazy good smell just by popping it opened. On medium high heat it only takes 4-5 minutes to get it to where it needs to be. After it has cooked, I take a paper towel and blot the sausage and pan to take back some of the excess grease, but to each his own. Then add your chopped onion and toss it with the sausage and lower the heat. Allow those two love birds to marry.

Once the onions soften, you can drain your beans – I use two cans but it can be made with just one. I like it to be more smooth and creamy in the end, but if you would rather have more tomato and spice taste then all you need is one can.

Then you add your stock.

Once the 15 minute bell rings take the tomatoes out of the oven. Drizzle with Balsamic – no more then a tablespoon, and help it to blend with the tomato juices created from roasting. Then throw it all in the tub:

But don't take a picture at the same time you are tossing, that will just make the picture blurry.

I am an incredibly lazy cook, so I lightly press on the tomatoes as I blend them into the soup and as they cook a little longer with all their new friends, they remove their own coats and it makes it very easy to just snag those skins right out of the pot.

Now, you can go one of two ways, based entirely on personal preference. You can remove a couple of cups of the soup and puree in a food processor then blend back into the rest of the soup; or you can do like I do and wait for the soup to cool slightly and put it all in the blender. Some people just like the different textures. Me, I don't like surprises.

Drizzle a little more balsamic and add some fresh parsley in either case.

I am obsessed with the color of this soup!

After blending, return the soup to the pan and heat back up. Serve with a good crusty bread. This soup is great with a mix of salad greens just loosely tossed with a lite vinaigrette.

This is gourmet canned food, ya'll!