7 hacks chefs use to upgrade a can of soup (2024)

FAQs

7 hacks chefs use to upgrade a can of soup? ›

I gotta be honest: Even after all the effort spent coaxing max flavor out of my canned soups, deciding what goes on top is still the funnest part. Add swirls of pesto, chili crisp, hot sauce, sour cream, or salted yogurt. Garnish your bowl with fried shallots, garlic chips, croutons, or a mish-mash of toasted seeds.

I gotta be honest: Even after all the effort spent coaxing max flavor out of my canned soups, deciding what goes on top is still the funnest part. Add swirls of pesto, chili crisp, hot sauce, sour cream, or salted yogurt. Garnish your bowl with fried shallots, garlic chips, croutons, or a mish-mash of toasted seeds.

The addition of meat and vegetarian replacements like chicken or tofu, as well as carbs like rice or legumes add additional heft to any canned soup. Veggies and a splash of citric acid can brighten up a boring tomato soup.

You can even use Greek yogurt, rich in consistency and creamy in flavor, for a sour cream substitute. 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.

Garlic, ginger, and green onion are the true stars when it comes to dressing up your instant soups. You can infuse soups with much needed flavor by simply sautéing some chopped aromatics for a few minutes. Stir them into hot soup, and you'll be surprised by just how much flavor you've created.

Ok, this may be a little obvious, but just adding water is going to make your soup go a little further. If you stick to a 50/50 ratio between water and whatever flavoured liquid you're using in your soup (be it tomatoes, a stock type, or a cream), you're unlikely to dilute it to the point of making it unpalatable.

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 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.

Go Bold. A punch of flavor at the end of cooking can make your soup a standout. Mix herbs like parsley, thyme, and oregano, or spices such as cumin, coriander, and cardamom, into some olive oil, and let it infuse for at least an hour or two. Pour it over soup just before serving.

How to make canned soup fancy? ›

In a saucepan, combine tomato soup and 1 can full of milk of choice or heavy cream. Add garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper and let sit on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Pour into bowls and top with parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

16,540,467 views The secret ingredient is... nothing! Despite that revelation, this so-called secret-soup is one of the most hotly requested dishes in the Babish Culinary Universe.

Add extra pureed vegetables, such as potatoes, squash, and beets, to the broth. Evaporated milk and even low-fat or fat-free plain yogurt are also great substitutes for cream.

"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. This helps you get the flavors you're looking for in the right balance.