Soup for .50 cents A Bowl. I Promise!

Soup is the brick and mortar to the modern day restaurant.

I am in love with soup! I have so many fond memories of my moms hearty bowls of steamy yumminess as a child. My mother had to stretch every dollar she had to feed a family of 6 very hungry people and the best way for her to fill us up on cold Montana winter nights, was with a big ole bowl of soup. So here are my 5 favorite soups that cost less than 50 cents a bowl without skimping on quality or ingredients! That's my promise!

1. Peasant Potato and Bacon Soup

6 potatoes peeled and diced in half inch cubes ~ 1.00
2 carrots peeled and shredded ~ 16 cents
3 celery stalks cleaned and diced ~ 10 cents
1/2 onion diced ~ .40
6 slices of raw bacon cut in 1/4 inch slices and cooked in a fry pan until brown ~ 1.50
2 cans evaporated milk ~ 1.60

In a pot add in 8 cups of water and if you have a chicken bouillon cube or 2 add in or even chicken base add in a Tablespoon, if not just use plain water, no biggie really. Then on medium add in the potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, 1 teaspoon ground pepper and 2T salt and crisp bacon in the pan. I also add in 1Tablespoon of the bacon fat from cooked bacon. Sounds gross but you won't notice but adds in great flavor. So just try it once! Then when the potatoes are tender about 30 minutes to an hour on medium, shut the heat down to low and add in the 2 cans of evaporated milk and serve. Yummo!
TOTAL COST~ 4.76 and you will get 10 - 1 cup servings easily ~ .48 cents a bowl of soup!

2. Beef Chili

3 cans of chili beans ~ 1.80
1 can Kidney Beans rinsed ~ 65 cents
6 cups tomato juice ~ .60
1 packet of mild Old El Paso Taco Seasoning ~ 75 cents
1/2 pound ground beef ~ 1.25 (2.50 a pound for 85 hamburger)
1/2 onion diced ~ 40 cents
1/2 pepper diced ~ 50 cents
In a pan brown ground beef up with the diced onions then add in 1 cup water with 1 packet of taco seasoning, simmer on low for 30 minutes. Then in a large soup pot add in the chili beans, rinsed kidney beans from the can, 6 cups of tomato juice and the seasoned mixture. Simmer on low or in a crock pot until dinnertime.

TOTAL COST ~ 5.45 This makes roughly 12 ~ 1 cup servings ~ 48 cents a bowl!

3. Split Pea Soup

1 ~ 16 ounce bag of dry peas sorted and rinsed 1.00
1 cup diced ham ~ 1.50
1/4 onion diced ~ 20 cents
1 carrot diced finely ~ 5 cents
3T chicken base or 3 bouillon cubes ~ 50 cents

In a large pan add in 8 cups of water 3 T chicken base or 3 bouillon cubes, onion, ham, carrots and the dry peas. Cook on medium low for hours or until the peas are tender. The longer you cook the more thick it will become, assuming you didn't add too much water. Can also crock pot this soup until you came home! Serve when hungry! If it gets to thick add in more water.

TOTAL COST ~ 3.25 and you will easily get 10 ~ 1 cup servings ~ each bowl costs 33 cents!

4. Chicken and Rice Soup

1 pound chicken breasts cooked cooled and shredded ~ 3.00
4 carrots peeled and diced ~ 25 cents
2 stalks celery diced ~ 20 cents
1/2 onion diced ~ 40 cents
10 cups of water
4T. chicken base ~ 1.00 or 4 bouillon cubes
1/2 cup dry wild rice or regular rice ~ .25 cents

In a large pot add in water, veggies chicken base or bouillon and rice. Once rice is tender and the veggies are add in the chicken and let it sit on low until ready to serve. If soup doesn't have enough broth due to variances with rice, add in a bit more water and chicken flavor if needed. Enjoy!

TOTAL COST ~ 5.10 with around 12 - 1 cup servings ~ 43 cents per bowl!

5. Vegetable Barley Soup

4 carrots peeled and diced ~ 40 cents
2 stalks of celery diced ~ 10 cents
1/2 an onion diced ~ 40 cents
4 potatoes peeled and diced ~ 60 cents
1 15 ounce can of whole tomatoes squished in your hand and set aside with its juices ~ 60 cents
1/4 cup barley ~ 10 cents
2 packets of McCormick Aujus ~ 2.00
2 cups cabbage ~ 40 cents

In a large pot add in 9 cups of water and mix with dry Aujus mix. Then add in all veggies and the barley, cook until veggies are fork tender. Enjoy! That freaking simple, I promise! 8

TOTAL COST ~ 4.60 ~ makes easily 10 ~ 1 cup servings ~ 46 cents a bowl.