A condensed chicken noodle soup from the shelf becomes a proper bowl of soup with water, fresh vegetables, and a little butter. It takes the time a pot takes to simmer, making it the fastest dinner when you need one.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 380 calories a serving, 45 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 18 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Dice 2 medium carrots into quarter-inch pieces and cut 2 celery stalks into quarter-inch pieces on the bias. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a pot over medium-high heat until it foams.
2. Add the carrots and celery to the pot and cook for three minutes, stirring often, until they soften slightly. Pour in the can of soup and add 2 cans worth of water (about 2.5 cups).
3. Bring the pot to a simmer over high heat, then lower the heat to medium and simmer for eight to ten minutes until the carrots and celery are tender and the flavours have melded. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.9 min

Note Swap frozen peas for the fresh vegetables if that's what you have; add them in the last two minutes. Leftovers keep for three days in the fridge and thin easily with water. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the broth and round out the meal.