Empty Pantry Soup
This is a very quick and easy soup. I threw all this together one evening when I hadn't been to the grocery store in a while, hence its name "Empty Pantry Soup".
This is a very quick and easy soup. I threw all this together one evening when I hadn't been to the grocery store in a while, hence its name "Empty Pantry Soup".
- Carbohydrate 10.0366333333333 g
- Cholesterol 49.1391734166667 mg
- Fat 8.0975395 g
- Fiber 1.23933334310849 g
- Protein 16.6014123333333 g
- Saturated Fat 3.15002306243333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (461g)
- Sodium 220.815494033333 mg
- Sugar 8.79729999022484 g
- Trans Fat 0.994317501083334 g
- Calories 177 calories
Step-by-step
- Brown and drain ground beef.
- Add water, seasoning packets from noodles, corn and tomatos.
- Simmer 20 minutes. Add noodles last 3 minutes of cooking time.
Traditional beef and noodle soups usually require hours of simmering beef shanks to extract collagen and build a broth from scratch. This preparation diverges entirely by using ground beef, which browns rapidly through direct conduction in a dry skillet. Render the fat completely during this initial stage, then drain the excess liquid before introducing water to prevent an unpleasantly greasy surface film. Searing the meat develops Maillard compounds that impart savory depth without requiring a homemade stock base.
Timing controls the structural integrity of the final bowl, particularly regarding the packaged ramen noodles. Introduce these dried wheat blocks only during the final three minutes of the twenty-minute simmer. Noodles added too early absorb excess moisture and disintegrate into a pasty sludge, ruining the broth clarity. Restricting their cooking time ensures they retain a firm bite while absorbing adequate salt from the included seasoning packets.
Canned corn and diced tomatoes introduce contrasting starches and acids that alter the simmering liquid. Tomatoes contain malic and citric acids, which gently tenderize the beef proteins while balancing the sodium load of the packaged flavorings. Whole kernel corn adds bursts of sweetness, though canned varieties are already cooked and merely need to reach internal serving temperatures of 165 degrees Fahrenheit during the simmer phase.
Batch cooking requires careful management of leftover starches if storage exceeds twenty-four hours in refrigeration. Starch molecules continue to swell and absorb free liquid as the soup sits, eventually turning the broth into a thick stew. Strain the noodles out separately if planning to store portions for later meals, or simply add an extra half cup of water when reheating the chilled mixture on the stove over medium-low heat.
