How to make tomato soup more interesting than just heating it up straight from the can

I've found that plain canned tomato soup has a surprising amount of sugar. Campbell's for example contains high fructose corn syrup (!). If you're prone to anaphylactic shock, eating nothing but this soup can cause it. It's why I first started adding so many vegetables, especially starchy vegetables - to compensate that effect.

Rather than a formal recipe, below are some ideas for vegetables and meats that add well to plain tomato soup - and go well with each other. The measurements work for a gallon of soup.

Things You'll Need

* two family-sized cans of condensed tomato soup, such as Campbell's
* three cans water

The rest of the ingredients are optional. Mix and match whichever you have on hand, or whichever you feel like eating.

* half a head of cabbage, finely shredded
* three carrots, chopped
* two-three red potatoes, coarsely diced
* two cups corn. I use frozen.
* two cups cooked rice. Carolina long-grain works best but any will do. This is a great way to use up leftover rice from other meals.
* three hot dogs, sliced into small disc-shaped pieces
* one cup small-medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
* black pepper

In the soup pot, mix the tomato soup with water. Bring it to a slow boil. Be careful not to let it boil over - tomato soup expands a lot when heated, moreso than broths.

Add the rice. When the soup comes back to a boil, add the carrots. Then the potatoes. Note the time after putting in the potatoes. Stir after each vegetable.

When the soup comes back to a boil after the potatoes, add the corn. Then the cabbage. When 15 minutes have passed since putting in the potatoes, add the shrimp. Stir.

When the shrimp are pink, add the hot dogs and black pepper. Let it come to a boil one more time, then turn off the heat. Stir and serve with crackers or bread.