Easy Hodge Podge Soup

Hodge podge soup is the textbook end-of-the-month dinner, the kind built from cans and pantry corners that surprises everyone with how genuinely satisfying it ends up being. The base is a single can of condensed tomato soup thinned with half a can of water, but it carries a full pound of browned ground beef, kidney beans, mixed vegetables, and broken spaghetti.

The small touch that elevates it: running a knife through the dry spaghetti before adding it to the pot. Inch-long pieces fit on a spoon properly and absorb the soup’s flavor as they cook directly in the broth. That same starch is what thickens the soup as it simmers, no flour or cornstarch needed.

Fifteen minutes at a gentle simmer is enough to cook the spaghetti through and let the flavors meld. Longer and the noodles turn mushy and the vegetables lose their bite.

Kitchen Tips

• Drain the beef well after browning. Excess grease makes the broth oily.
• Don’t add the spaghetti too early. Pasta cooked too long in tomato broth turns soft and starchy.
• Use a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes plus a teaspoon of sugar in place of canned tomato soup for a lower-sodium version.
• Make a double batch and freeze half. The flavor improves overnight, and frozen portions reheat well.

Variations

• Swap kidney beans for chickpeas or black beans for a different texture.
• Add a teaspoon of Italian seasoning and a clove of garlic for extra depth.
• Stir in a handful of fresh spinach at the end for color and a green vegetable boost.