It's the end of the month and money is so tight it squeaks.

You've had a terrible, horrible, very bad, no good day and just feel like eating something warm and comforting in a bowl.

The meeting ran over and now you've got exactly 15 minutes and 39 seconds to have dinner on the table for you and your roommate.

You absolutely do not feel like cooking anything, but no one's going to feed you and you just can't do DoorDash or UberEats one more time this week.

Your date is vegan and you have no clue where to even start when it comes to making them dinner.

Have I got a little dish for you that meets all of the requirements. It's cheap. It's easy. It's a hug in a bowl. And it's good, healthy, and vegan -- if that matters.

Of all the vegan and vegetarian dishes I know, this one is a lifesaver when time and money are cramping my style.

It does require a couple of pantry staples, but if need be, you can stop by the market for a 3-minute dash and have all you need. Ready? Here it is:

Ingredients:

-1 15oz can diced tomatoes

-1 15oz can cannellini or garbanzo or great northern beans

-garlic powder, to taste

-Italian seasoning blend or basil, oregano, and rosemary, to taste

-salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Open the tomatoes and beans and pour them into a saucepan. Do not drain them, as you want the juice and aqua faba to make the broth.

2. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

3. Add the garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper. (HINT: start with a 1/4 tsp. garlic, 1/2 tsp. of each herb or 1 1/2 tsp. of Italian seasoning blend. Use the salt and pepper shaker from the table to add those, a little at a time. Taste after each to decide if you need more.)

4. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes, to allow the flavors to blend. Add water if it gets too thick - you want a soup consistency.

Dish up into two bowls. Serve with a green salad, if you have the time. Makes 2 servings.

Other Options:

There are many ways you can add to this little soup, money, and time allowing.

Here's just some of the things I've done with it in the past:

-Heat some oil in the pan and saute' some fresh minced onion and garlic before adding in the tomatoes and beans

-Add in a handful or two of chopped fresh spinach or kale

-Add in other vegetables - zucchini, bell peppers, shredded carrots, canned mushrooms - NOTE: You'll probably need to add more water to keep it soupy

-Add in cooked pasta or rice to give it more oomph

-Serve it over cooked pasta, quinoa, or rice - NOTE: It should have a thicker, stew-like consistency

-Change the seasonings and substituted kidney beans to make more of a Mexican/Tex Mex chili out of it

-Add some vegetarian pepperoni and sprinkled vegan mozzarella on top to make "pizza in a bowl"

Cost:

At my nearest market, the beans cost 59 to 69 cents a can. The tomatoes cost 49 to 69 cents a can. You can find jars of Italian seasoning blend and garlic powder both in many "dollar" type stores and grocery aisles for 50 cents to $1 each.

So, even if you have to buy everything from scratch, you're still looking at less than $4 to make a meal. And the seasonings you'll use again and again, so you'll really only use pennies' worth of them for this dish.

Nutrition Facts:

per 1 serving, basic soup recipe

Calories: about 270

Fat: 3.8 grams

Sodium: 475mg

Carbs: 41 grams

Protein: 12 grams

Cholesterol: 0mg

Fiber: 10.6 grams

Vitamin C: 20% RDA

There's a pretty nutritious punch to this little bowl of soup, for the money and time you put in.

Adding in some of the optional ingredients only increases its healthy goodness.

The next time money and/or time are putting a cramp in your dinnertime style, give this recipe a try. It's worth it.

Bon appetit!