In the 10 years since I’ve married her son, I can’t remember a time that my mother-in-law has arrived at our house without armloads of food. At first, I’ll admit, it was a teeny bit maddening; I really do like to cook, after all.

But — between our growing 3-year-old and the equivalent of several full-time jobs — as the years have passed I’ve gained a much better appreciation for a home-cooked meal that’s been made by someone else. A few minutes to put my feet up and talk to my husband about the day? Yes, please!

Tin-can tortilla soup

The last few times my mother-in-law has visited, she’s whipped up this easy tortilla soup. We’ve started calling it “Tin-Can Tortilla Soup” because — other than any optional toppings that you want to doctor it up with — all of the ingredients come in cans or are otherwise shelf-stable. Not only does that make this soup incredibly quick to put together but it also means you can always have the ingredients on hand for an easy dinner even when you don’t have a wonderful mother-in-law cooking for you.

The recipe below is vegetarian, but, if you must have meat, feel free to add a few boneless, skinless chicken thighs as the soup is cooking. You can also make this soup in an electric cooker, if that’s easier for you. Just don’t let it simmer more than a few hours or the beans and corn will get mushy.

Tin-Can Tortilla Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1/2 medium onion

28-ounce can diced tomatoes

2 28-ounce cans chicken stock or water

15-ounce can black beans

6-7 slices of canned/jarred jalapeno, diced (or 1 fresh jalapeno)

10-ounces of frozen corn (or use canned corn)

1 teaspoon cumin

Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional toppings:

Greek yogurt or sour cream

Diced green onions

Shredded cheddar cheese

Tortilla chips

Sliced avocado

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stock pot. Add the garlic and onions, and allow them to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and all of their juice, then, using the empty tomato can to measure, add the water or chicken stock.

Next, drain and rinse the black beans. Add both the beans and the corn to the soup pot. Last, add the cumin and jalapeno.

Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to let it simmer for 5-10 minutes, just to let the flavors meld together a little. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve with whatever toppings you have on hand — we like tortilla chips, green onions and Greek yogurt.

— Meryl Carver-Allmond lives in Lawrence and writes about chickens, babies, knitting, gardening, food, photography, and whatever else tickles her fancy on any given day at mybitofearth.net.