Make a meal out of almost anything.

Stop shopping and start cooking what you have. Your pantry’s possibilities are endless. Milk Street will help you transform whatever you already have into bright, bold meals from around the world.

Got a can of chickpeas? It can become anything from a quick hummus to a curry spiked with sweet carrots, from a garlicky chickpea soup to a bowl of crispy canned beans with lemon and scallions.

Or grab that can of tomatoes from the back of the cabinet. It can become spicy one-pot pasta all’arrabbiata, chilaquiles rojos, a rich shakshuka with poached eggs or a chicken and tortilla soup.

Turn to the refrigerator, where eggs and leftover vegetables are the start of cheesy migas, a Spanish tortilla with potato chips or a quick fried rice. Chicken breasts or thighs from the freezer become Hungarian chicken paprikash or hearty chicken salad with green tahini. Cooks in Amalfi, Italy, taught us to turn a wedge of Parmesan and lemons on the counter into a light yet flavorful pesto. And that’s just the start. Desserts, too, come together easily with ingredients everyone keeps on hand.

These 225 recipes begin with the most common ingredients in your kitchen, but they provide more than a lesson in practicality. They teach an improvisational, creative way to cook.

That’s when cooking becomes an adventure.

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Creamy Pinto Bean and Tomato Soup

Start to finish: 35 minutes / Servings: 4 to 6

According to Mexican food authority Diana Kennedy, there are two types of sopa Tarasca, or Tarascan soup, from the state of Michoacán in central Mexico. One is tortilla-based, the other a bean puree. The latter inspired this satisfying pantry-centric soup that can be on the table in under 45 minutes. Fire- roasted tomatoes add a subtle smokiness and the lime juice stirred in at the end adds brightness. Finish the smooth, velvety soup with a garnish or two to add contrasting colours, flavours and textures; see below for suggestions.

½ medium white OR yellow onion, halved

3 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

14½-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes

1 tablespoon chili powder

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Two 15½-ounce cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth OR vegetable broth

1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano

2 tablespoons lime juice, plus lime wedges to serve

In a blender, combine the onion, garlic, tomatoes with juices, chili powder and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping the jar as needed.

In a large saucepan over medium, heat the oil and the tomato puree until it comes to a simmer; reserve the blender jar. Cook, stirring occasionally and reducing the heat if the mixture begins to spatter, until slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add the beans and broth to the blender and blend until smooth, 1 minute.

Add the bean puree to the pan along with the oregano. Bring to a simmer over medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the soup is lightly thickened, 5 to 6 minutes.

Off heat, stir in the lime juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with lime wedges.

Optional garnish: Diced avocado OR chopped fresh cilantro OR sour cream (or Mexican crema) OR crumbled queso fresco OR crumbled tortilla chips OR a combination

Excerpted from MILK STREET: COOK WHAT YOU HAVE by Christopher Kimball. Copyright © 2022 by CPK Media, LLC. Photograph by Connie Miller of CB Creatives. Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved.