Super Rescue Soup - $4.58 a serving
Every non-staple ingredient matched to a real product on the shelf, priced on 2026-07-19 at Kroger - Kroger On the Rhine (ZIP 45202). 1 pantry staples excluded. Prices change without notice - this is what we paid attention to on that date, not a quote.
| The recipe says | We found | Package | Uses | Costs | Left over |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 cup dried cannellini beans (or 1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed) | Kroger® Cannellini Beans · 15.5 oz | $1.00 | 425 g | $0.97 | $0.03 |
| 1/2 cup pearl barley | Bob's Red Mill Pearl Barley · 30 oz | $4.19 | 100 g | $0.49 | $3.70 |
| 2 tablespoons olive oil | Simple Truth Organic® Extra Virgin Olive Oil · 16.9 fl oz | $8.49 | 30 ml | $0.51 | $7.98 |
| 1 unknown small onion, finely chopped | Jumbo Yellow Onions · 1 lb | $1.19 | 1 | $0.29 | $0.90 |
| 2 unknown medium carrots (scrubbed and finely chopped) | Carrots · 1 lb | $1.69 | 2 | $0.45 | $1.24 |
| 2 unknown medium stalks celery (finely chopped) | Sleeved Celery · 1 ctx2 | $2.59 | 2 | $5.18 | - |
| 1 unknown medium zucchini (quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces) | Zucchini · 1 lb | $1.79 | 1 | $0.79 | $1.00 |
| 3/4 cup green beans (cut into 1/2-inch pieces) | Fresh Bagged Green Beans · 1 lb | $2.19 | 115 g | $0.56 | $1.63 |
| 1 unknown russet potato (peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes) | Russet Potato · 1 lb | $0.89 | 1 | $0.59 | $0.30 |
| 1/2 cup tomato sauce (or one medium tomato, chopped) | Contadina Tomato Sauce · 8 oz | $0.89 | 120 ml | $0.47 | $0.42 |
olive oil drives this basket at $8.49, 31% of the total. The next biggest lines are celery ($5.18) and pearl barley ($4.19). $17.21 of the basket - 63% - is package remainder: food you buy because stores sell packages and recipes call for amounts. It does not vanish, it sits in your kitchen for the next meal.
- Simple Truth Organic® Extra Virgin Olive Oil · about 470 ml left, $7.98 of value
- Bob's Red Mill Pearl Barley · about 750 g left, $3.70 of value
- Fresh Bagged Green Beans · about 339 g left, $1.63 of value
- Carrots · about 334 g left, $1.24 of value
- Zucchini · about 254 g left, $1.00 of value
- Jumbo Yellow Onions · about 344 g left, $0.90 of value
“We live on Long Island, and when Hurricane Sandy struck, we were without power for 15 days,” reports Peter’s mom, Jill. “The grocery stores had no produce, dairy, or meat, but it was harvest time at our local farmstand, so there was plenty of fresh produce available there. We filled a wagon with fresh produce, added some pantry staples, and came up with this soup, which we could cook on our gas stovetop. To round out the meal we would serve Peter’s Banana Split Fruit Salad. Split a banana, top with berries and low-fat yogurt, and finish with ground flaxseed sprinkles.”
- 1/2 cup dried cannellini beans (or 1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed)
- 1/2 cup pearl barley
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 unknown small onion, finely chopped
- 2 unknown medium carrots (scrubbed and finely chopped)
- 2 unknown medium stalks celery (finely chopped)
- 1 unknown medium zucchini (quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
- 3/4 cup green beans (cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
- 1 unknown russet potato (peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce (or one medium tomato, chopped)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
This recipe is credited to a partner program (The Epicurious 2013 Healthy Lunchtime Challenge Cookbook), so we don't reprint its directions - read them on the archived original.
- Fish Tacos · $4.59 a serving
- Beef and Tomato Bake · $4.59 a serving
- Chic' Penne · $4.60 a serving
- Chicken Alfredo With a Twist · $4.61 a serving
- Chickpeas and Spinach Sauté · $4.56 a serving