Canned soup is one of our essential ingredients for a perfect pantry and is a staple in nearly every American household. But when you crack open can after can of traditional tomato and classic chicken noodle, they can start to lose their luster.
Rather than swear off canned soups for good, we suggest you call in reinforcements. Small tweaks to make your meal more semi-homemade (think mix-ins, garnishes, and thickeners) can make all the difference — and can elevate your quick lunch or dinner recipe to restaurant-quality territory. Consider one of these nine upgrades the next time you serve soup.
9 Ways to Make Canned Soup Taste Better
Go for the Grain
If the soup you selected doesn't already include a starch source like rice or pasta, consider amplifying it with a cooked grain. Quinoa, barley, and wheat berries are among our faves when we're in a healthy mood, and when we have Asian fare in mind, we opt for ramen or rice noodles.
Spice Up Your Life
A pinch of seasoning can make all the difference to freshen up the flavors in a ho-hum soup. Most canned soups have plenty of sodium, so skip the salt and stick with spices like cumin or curry powder or try dried herbs like basil or rosemary.
Perk Things Up With Pesto
Or you can add fresh herbs to the mix, even if you don't have your own kitchen herb garden started. Just twist open a jar of pesto and garnish a bowl of tomato or vegetable soup with a scoop.
Give It a Whirl
Running low on pantry staples but still want to zhush up your soup? Zero extra ingredients are required for this quick canned soup hack: Just grab your countertop blender or immersion blender. Use either to blend and thicken a chunky vegetable soup into creamy, bisque-like consistency in a matter of seconds.
Add Acid
There's a reason why "acid" made it into the title of Samin Nosrat's popular cookbook-turned-Netflix-series Salt Fat Acid Heat. It's an essential component to perk up the flavors in nearly any savory recipe. Try a squeeze of lemon or lime or a splash of vinegar to brighten a dull-tasting canned soup.
Pack in Some Protein
Put leftover chicken or turkey to good use by shredding it and stirring into canned soups like butternut squash, lentil, or minestrone. (Or chicken noodle — let's be honest, there's never enough chicken in store-bought soups!) You could also simmer some frozen meatballs or slices of sausage in soups such as tomato, mushroom, or vegetable.
Or Pile On a Poached Egg
Quite possibly the best "condiment" on earth, a runny egg yolk can make everything from rice to pizza to avocado toast so much better. Add canned soups to the list, too. In case you need a refresher, here's how to poach an egg like a pro.
Veg Out
For more color, vitamins, and fiber, stir in a few handfuls of kale, spinach, or chard to any canned soup. Frozen spinach works too!
Crown Each Bowl With Croutons
If you have bread — even stale slices or that loaf tucked away in the freezer will do — then you're in luck the next time you serve soup. That means you're all set to make homemade croutons. Cut into cubes, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, and season with a dried herb or spice, if desired. Bake for about 10 minutes at 375° F, tossing halfway through to get each side toasty and golden brown. Or if you're craving an extra dose of comfort, griddle up a grilled cheese sandwich or two and slice into cubes for the ultimate tomato soup topping.
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FAQs
Add Aromatics
How to make can soup taste homemade? ›
Spice Up Your Life
A pinch of seasoning can make all the difference to freshen up the flavors in a ho-hum soup. Most canned soups have plenty of sodium, so skip the salt and stick with spices like cumin or curry powder or try dried herbs like basil or rosemary.
How do you upgrade canned soup? ›
10 Ways to Dress Up Canned Soup
- Fresh Herbs: Add a handful of fresh herbs and not only will your nose thank you, your soup will, too!
- Cheese: More cheese? ...
- Bread: Bruschetta crisps, small chunks of baguette. ...
- Meat: Add in bite-size pieces of leftover meat (chicken, steak, pork) to your bowl for a protein-packed punch.
What gives homemade soup Flavour? ›
You can also go with more heat and spices. "Ground paprika, turmeric, nutmeg, ground ginger, and other powdered spices add a touch of color and spiciness to broths," she says. As a general rule, use fresh herbs at or near the end of cooking and dried herbs and spices early on.
How do you get the tin taste out of canned soup? ›
Poor off any liquid and rinse off well. Add any type of spice you were planning with fresh water and that should do it. Metallic taste in canned food can be reduced by using the cold or nirmalize food not the hot food.
How to improve a can of chicken soup? ›
How do I make canned chicken noodle soup better? Just before eating, add a pat of butter. You can also add chives, croutons, chopped green onions, parsley, a bit of garlic powder, chopped fresh herbs, etc., but the butter always works for a quick and easy soup upgrade.
How to doctor up Campbell's vegetable soup? ›
Fresh lemon juice: this is best to add at the end of cooking, otherwise the lemon flavor can become bitter. Cooking Vinegars: such as balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, or even apple cider vinegar. Hot sauce: helps to add both acid and heat, so you're getting even more bang for your buck.
How do you enhance Campbell's soup? ›
Pesto, hot sauce, lemon juice—the list goes on. Any of these will enhance the flavor profile and give your can of Campbell's the boost it needs to go from good to great.
How to spruce up progresso chicken noodle soup? ›
Add Some Herbs
Start by melting a little butter in a pan and add some fresh herbs like ground pepper, oregano, thyme, and basil. Mix the sauteed herbs into the broth to add flavor to a boring canned soup. You can also toss a sprig of rosemary or fresh sage into the pot while you heat up the soup.
How can I add flavor to tasteless soup? ›
Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples
Add a splash of vinegar (any kind!), or a squeeze of citrus. Chances are, you could use a little more salt. Go ahead—it's ok. Salt perks up flat flavors and helps balance out bitter-tasting ingredients.
The Worst Things to Put in Your Soup
- By Sara Butler. If there's one good thing about fall and winter, it's soup. ...
- Heavy Cream. Heavy cream creates an inviting texture for soups but that's where its positive contributions end. ...
- Juice. ...
- Turkey Bacon. ...
- Cheese. ...
- Croutons.
How do you deepen soup Flavour? ›
Depending on what kind of soup you have, there are lots of things that add flavor. Black pepper can give an “after burn" to any recipe. Worcestershire sauce, Maggi sauce, tomato paste, fresh herbs, mustard, vinegar, bouquet garni, garlic, hot sauce, soy sauce.
Do you add anything to canned soup? ›
Nearly any type of canned soup – tomato, lentil, chicken, beef, bean – can be made more nutritious by tossing in a couple handfuls of fresh greens as you heat. You can use chopped kale, baby spinach, mixed greens, or whatever you have on hand. Onions, mushrooms, carrots, celery and peppers are all good options, too!
How to make canned food taste better? ›
One of the most simple ways to improve the flavor of canned food is to add dried herbs and spices. Some canned food, such as beans and vegetables, obviously needs seasoning, and your spice rack is a great place to start.
How do you make canned broth taste better? ›
Add a sauce.
Soy sauce, fish sauce, hot sauce, or chili paste can quickly and efficiently flavor store-bought broth — a little bit goes along way with these ingredients. We often add a few drops of fish sauce to chicken broth before making wonton soup.
How do you make can broth taste better? ›
Soy sauce, fish sauce, hot sauce, or chili paste can quickly and efficiently flavor store-bought broth — a little bit goes along way with these ingredients.
How can you can homemade soup? ›
How to Can Soup in 7 Steps
- Wash your canning jars. ...
- Cook your ingredients. ...
- Create your broth. ...
- Combine your ingredients with the broth. ...
- Fill the canning jars. ...
- Process the pints and quarts. ...
- Let the jars cool.
How do you make box soup taste better? ›
9 Delicious Ways to Enhance Boxed Soup
- A Dash of Dairy. Creamed soups such as tomato, squash or red pepper really benefit from a swirl of dairy. ...
- Fresh herbs. ...
- Lemon or Vinegar. ...
- A Touch of Nut or Truffle Oil. ...
- A Fresh Garnish. ...
- Freshly Grated Parmesan. ...
- Sausage. ...
- Delicious Accompaniments.
What other ingredients can be added to give taste to the soup? ›
I added MSG, seasoned salt, black pepper , garlic and onion powder and some dried parsley. That should be a good way to give any soup the additional kick your looking for.