How To Make Canned Soup Taste Like Homemade (2024)

FAQs

How To Make Canned Soup Taste Like Homemade? ›

Depending on the soup's flavor profile, you could shake in some cumin or red pepper flakes. Go green: Add some spinach or chopped kale or pesto. Get zesty: A squirt of lemon juice or zest could brighten up an otherwise flat soup. Starchy things: Homemade croutons, crushed tortilla chips, or oyster crackers.

Adding cooked meat that's high in protein is an easy way to make canned tomato soup taste better and more filling. Chopped bacon pairs well with tomato soup for a BLT-esque soup, or try adding in crumbled ground meat like spicy sausage for some added flavor.

You can extract a clean, strong broth from a combination of water and several pantry ingredients. It's all about layering powerful flavor-enhancers that you probably already have on hand—bacon, tomato paste, herbs, peppercorns, a Parmesan rind, and, of course, kosher salt.

A spoonful of yogurt, sour cream, creme fraiche or even heavy cream swirled into each bowl not only makes it look pretty, but it adds a nice tang and richness. A few snips of almost any fresh herb will brighten up your soup and add a fresh flavor.

Herbs: Fresh chives, thyme, or cilantro stirred in just before serving. Spices: Your soup is probably salty enough, but what about simmering a bay leaf in there for a while (don't forget to remove it before serving)? Depending on the soup's flavor profile, you could shake in some cumin or red pepper flakes.

The good news is all of the most popular canned soups in America can be made to taste better with a few simple hacks. That starts with adding aromatics like garlic, ginger, or onions, to the mix, along with an extra helping of spices from basic salt and pepper to curry powders from different regions.

Pacific Foods Organic Creamy Tomato Soup

It might even be the best soup we've ever gotten at the grocery store. It's about “as decadent as plain tomato soup can get” thanks to the organic milk from dairies local to Oregon (according to Pacific Foods). The tomatoes are sweet.

For virtually anything but the brothy bois, like chicken noodle soup or Italian minestrone, you could also stir in some coconut milk, warmed cream, or crème fraîche to add body and richness.

To season it, we recommend starting with our Vegetable Soup Mix. It contains celery salt, parsley flakes, garlic powder, sea salt, summer savory, marjoram, thyme, black pepper, turmeric and sage, which are all excellent with root vegetables, so you can incorporate things like carrots or potatoes into the soup.

Why is my homemade soup so bland? ›

If a soup is tasting bland in the bowl, consider adding acid rather than salt. A squeeze of lemon or lime, or a dash of yogurt or sour cream can add brightness to the bowl. Start with the basics. Ensure you've added enough salt and black pepper.

If your broth tastes thin and bland, you may want to cook and let it evaporate for longer. That helps concentrate its flavors and gives you a better-tasting soup broth. Be sure to remove the lid to let the steam escape.

Consider introducing flavor boosters, like a splash of white wine, an old Parm rind, a splash of soy sauce, or a dollop of miso paste into the mix. And, if all else fails, increasing the quantity of the aromatics in a recipe—onions, garlic, celery, herbs, etc. —goes a long way as far as building flavor is concerned.

The basic principles of soup-er soups and stew-pendous stews

All soups and stews must have three major components in order to be tasty: an undercurrent liquid, aromatics, and volumizing ingredients.

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

And it's incredibly easy to do. As you heat up your canned chicken noodle soup, whisk an egg or two together in a bowl. Once the soup is hot enough, reduce the heat to simmer and start stirring it in one direction. As you continue to stir, slowly pour the bowl of whisked eggs into the soup.

Strong flavors such as garlic, onion, cumin, cayenne pepper, and chili flakes benefit just about every savory dish, but they are especially useful when you're working with canned goods because they really come to the forefront of the flavor profile.

Browning is your friend. To bring out the taste of more full-flavored canned meat like Spam, your best move is to brown it in a frying pan or oven. This caramelizes the meat and intensifies the distinctive taste. Mix it up.

Turns out, it could hardly be any easier. I pour a box of stock into a saucepan. To that, I add a minced carrot, a minced celery stalk, some peppercorns, a chopped onion, and, if these flavors will work with the dish I'm eventually going to make, some garlic and herbs. And I just let that simmer for a while.