Rotel-N-Rice Corn Soup

Six ingredients, one pot, and you’re done. This is pantry cooking in its purest form: a can of Rotel (spicy diced tomatoes with green chilies), leftover cooked rice, frozen corn, and vegetable stock simmered together into a warming bowl of soup with just enough kick from the green chilies.

Rotel is the secret ingredient here. The canned combination of tomatoes and green chilies carries all the tang, heat, and salt you’d otherwise spend chopping and seasoning yourself. Don’t drain it; the liquid is flavor.

Cooked rice thickens the broth as it heats, giving the soup a heartier, porridge-like body by the time it’s ready to serve. If you start with raw rice, cook it separately first; adding uncooked grains will throw off the liquid ratio and leave you with a gummy soup.

Tortilla strips stirred in just before serving soften slightly in the hot broth but still hold some chew. Do not add them earlier or they’ll dissolve into mush.

Kitchen Tips

• Brown the red pepper in a dry pan first for smoky char, even without oil.
• Use fire-roasted Rotel for an extra layer of smoky flavor.
• Reserve a handful of tortilla strips to crisp in the oven and scatter on top for texture.
• Leftover rotisserie chicken or black beans turn this into a more substantial meal.

Variations

• Add a can of drained black beans with the corn for protein.
• Top with shredded Monterey Jack, avocado, and a squeeze of lime.
• Swap vegetable stock for chicken stock and add shredded chicken for a heartier version.