12 Ways To Improve Store-Bought Canned Soup

There are so many reasons why canned soup is a wonderful thing. The convenience is unmatched. You can have some soup at any time of the day without any preparation. It's a meal, it's filling, but it's also uncomplicated, and there's no need to think much about it, which is perfect for busy times. Plus, it's shelf-stable, so you can keep a couple of cans in your pantry for months at a time. There's no shortage of brands and flavors, so you can find a canned soup to meet anybody's preferences, whether they're vegan, vegetarian, meat eaters, or picky eaters. That's why many families turn to canned soup when in a pinch, as they're nutritious and tasty while being affordable, too.

It goes without saying that not all canned soup is made equal, and some are tastier than others. However, whatever kind of canned soup you have, there are easy ways to improve it with other fridge and pantry items you may have on hand. As a food writer and recipe developer, I love the convenience and variety of canned soup, but I also love jazzing it up in quick ways that make it more delicious and make it feel a little more homemade. You can try just one ingredient on its own, or even combine some, to create a satisfying soup that meets your tastes better. Here are some ways to improve store-bought canned soup.

Foods that are balanced in different tastes are likely to be appealing to eat. It's always a good idea to balance sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness, and umami. If you haven't heard of umami before, it's the fifth taste that describes savoriness. Umami is different from salty, as it does not describe salt content but whether food tastes savory without salt. This is something you can find in cheese, tomatoes, and things like soy sauce. That's why these ingredients are great to add to your canned soup, and soy sauce is especially great at adding umami.

Canned soup is many things, but it's not particularly known for being high in umami. Unless you're having tomato soup or a specific soup that's made with umami-strong ingredients, it's likely lacking a little bit of a full-body flavor. Soy sauce is a condiment that's all about the umami, and it can be quite subtle and go unnoticed if you add just a little. It won't overpower the flavor of your soup, but it will add just enough depth to make it even more flavorful.

Canned soup can sometimes be underseasoned and adding soy sauce also helps add some saltiness. That's what makes it such a versatile ingredient — it hits both salty and umami with just a few splashes. 

Depending on the type of soup you're eating, it could greatly benefit from being a little creamier and thicker. There are different ways to achieve this, but a foolproof way (and obvious choice) is to make a roux. There's no reason to be intimidated by the name, as it's just a French term for a mixture you make from butter and flour. All it does is thicken whatever liquid it's added to and add a richness that tastes great in just about anything. Many canned soups would feel a lot more homemade and heartier if you added a roux to them, and it's a way to make a can of soup go further.

To make a roux, you start by melting some butter in a pot and adding some flour. Once it's mixed, you can let it cook for longer if you want it to darken and develop a deeper flavor. However, you can also use it as a "white roux" without letting it cook too long, as it will be just as effective at making your soup creamier. If you're feeling intimidated about making a roux, or you're just short on time, this microwave hack could change the way you make roux forever.

One of the most unappealing characteristics of canned soup is that it doesn't always taste freshly made. There's something about the canning process that gives it a slight "processed" taste that doesn't quite compare with a homemade soup. This isn't a reason not to eat canned soup though, as it still has so many positives to offer. You just need to find ways to make your soup taste fresher. One way to do so is to use fresh herbs. No matter how good the brand is, it's hard to replicate the taste of fresh herbs in canned soup, so an easy fix is to sprinkle them in yourself.

When it comes to fresh herbs, there are so many options. Cilantro is a great choice for many soups but can be quite polarizing for that percentage of people who can't stand the taste. A safer bet would be fresh parsley, as just a handful can make a can of soup seem more homemade. But don't stop at the easy choices. You could add dill to any creamy soup and it will complement it well, or even add some crispy sage for an earthier, woody flavor.

There's a technique in Indian cuisine that makes certain dishes taste incredible. It's something that you add at the end, to a pot of something you've just cooked, which makes it the perfect thing to add to a can of soup. A tadka (sometimes also known as tarka, chaunk, or baghaar), is the method of blooming spices and other ingredients in oil or butter, and then adding that to a dish. It can consist of many kinds of spices and ingredients like garlic and chiles, and the blends can be diverse and specific. The spices can include things like coriander, cumin, curry leaves, and ginger, and the fat component can be anything from vegetable oil to coconut oil, butter, or ghee.

With just a handful of spices, you could produce a beautifully rich, perfumed taste to anything you cook. This is no different with canned soup, and depending on the type of soup, you can pick spices that you think would go well together. For a first-time tadka maker, be careful not to burn your spices or garlic. Otherwise, experiment and find out what works for you. This technique can instantly add complexity to even the most plain of soups (like tomato soup, for example).

Something that many home cooks know is that to have a tasty result, you want to make sure you've got enough salt, umami, a little sweetness, and maybe some sourness, too. Often, it's the sourness that's forgotten, and it's a really effective way to give your dish a boost. Canned soup is often in need of some brightening up and nothing does so quite like adding an acid. Plus, it's really easy to do. All you need is to squeeze a lemon into your soup and it can take it to the next level. It's also a good way to balance out if your soup is a little too salty, or to cut through the richness if it's too fatty.

If you don't have lemons or lemon juice, you can use vinegar. Whether it's apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, or simple white vinegar, any of these will do the trick. Lemon juice is usually best though, as it's slightly less harsh, and there's an easy way to keep some handy by making frozen citrus cubes that are the perfect hack for soups.

One thing about canned soup is that it goes from good to great with some helpful toppings. Cheese is almost always the answer, and there are so many options for which cheese to use in your soup. You can use mozzarella, cheddar, Parmesan, pecorino, or even a gooey Swiss cheese like Gruyère. A perfect soup topping (for a number of reasons) is feta. This cheese not only adds umami to your soup, it also adds saltiness, tang, and creaminess. For just one ingredient, it sure does tick a lot of boxes.

If you add feta to your hot soup, some of it will melt slightly and give off the appearance of cream — which is so satisfying to look at and swirl into your soup — while some will stay in shape, giving you pleasing varying textures while you eat. You can crumble feta straight into your bowl with your fingers (finger-licking is mandatory). Or add it to your soup if you're warming it up on the stove and watch it melt.

Adding fat to dishes is one easy way to make them taste better. Fat adds another layer of flavor and makes your dish richer and more gratifying. Plus, it makes you fuller — a welcome addition to canned soups that at times leaves something to be desired. There are plenty of options of fats you can use, from butter to coconut oil duck fat. However, those options don't always go with every type of soup. This is why olive oil is a great choice of fat for soup, as its flavor goes well with just about any type.

You can add olive oil to tomato soup, chicken noodle soup, lentil soup — you name it. Olive oil makes you feel satisfied without the heaviness you might get from butter, duck fat, or cream. For the best outcome with a deeper flavor, opt for some good quality, extra-virgin oil. The better the quality, the more beneficial the olive oil will be. There's nothing complicated about adding it in, all you have to do is drizzle it over the top before you eat. About a tablespoon's worth is more than enough.

Speaking of oils, using an infused or flavored oil is a sure way to impart extra tasty goodness into your canned soup. You can use a luxurious truffle oil or some garlic oil. However, if you're a fan of chilis and want a little kick in your soup, chili oil is the perfect condiment. You'll get flavor, heat, and richness in one go. Depending on the chili oil, the heat is also usually quite rounded and not as sharp as hot sauce. This means that the spiciness tends to build gradually as you eat, which is a pleasant experience.

You can buy ready-made chili oil or spice up your canned soup with chili crisp. You'll find the popular brand, Lao Gan Ma Chili Crisp, at any Asian grocery store, or you can even make your own. It's simpler than it sounds, and you can customize it with the types of chili flavor you like, and even play around with spices like cloves, Sichuan pepper, black pepper, and cinnamon. Try this chili oil recipe to get started.

If you want to make your soup a little more creamy and velvety, you don't have to turn to cream, milk, or cheese. Yogurt makes for a great way to add some tang and lusciousness. It just takes a spoon or two of yogurt to have a big impact on soup, plus, it's a way to give your soup a little more protein, which will keep you full for longer. And, there's the added benefit of having more probiotics in your diet! You can add yogurt to most types of soup, but a swirl of Greek yogurt can transform butternut squash soup, as well as green vegetable soups like broccoli, spinach, or pea soup.

When choosing yogurt, a good idea is to go for Greek yogurt, as it's extra thick, creamy, and rich. The better the yogurt tastes on its own, the better your soup is going to taste. Always opt for plain, unsweetened yogurt so you don't get any surprises with fruity flavors and added sugar. Before adding cold yogurt to hot soup, it's best to temper it a little to prevent it from curdling. To temper your yogurt, add a little hot soup to your yogurt first.

Bread and soup go together like butter and jam. For as long as people have eaten soup, bread has been an accompaniment. It's one of the obvious ways to make your bowl of soup a more filling meal, and there's little as delicious as having fresh bread with some hot soup. In general, carbs are a great way to improve your store-bought canned soup. You can make grilled cheese with your bread, or toast up some croutons and throw them in for extra crunch.

You don't have to stop at bread though. There are so many ways to bulk up canned soup with different carbs. Noodles or pasta are also a great option, and you can use different-shaped pasta for different soup types. You can also add rice to your soup – many cultures have rice in their soup, so it's not an unusual thing to do. If you choose to use pasta, noodles, or rice, it's best to cook them separately and then add them to your canned soup, to avoid overcooking your soup which is already cooked and ready to eat.

An easy way to make your soup a bit more decadent is by using bacon bits. Bacon is full of flavor and will incorporate both a bit of saltiness and umami into your soup. Bacon goes with all types of soups and would be tasty with pea soup, cheesy corn chowder, or even some sweet potato soup. The possibilities are endless. And the existence of bacon bits makes it super easy to add bacon to anything.

You can buy the bits and fry them up until crispy, or you can chop up whole bacon strips to get the same effect. The added bonus of bacon bits is that they are more than just a delicious, smoky, meatiness. They add a lot of texture, too. The more you crisp them up, the more crunch you'll add to your soup. Or, keep them chewy and soft by giving them a quick toss in the frying pan (without overcooking).

We already know that adding some acid will brighten up canned soup and give it the much-needed balanced flavor we desire. Fresh herbs will make it feel like a freshly-made bowl of soup, plus, with some olive oil, you've got more richness and depth without feeling heavy. Well, if you're willing to take a little bit of an extra step, the combination of these three things exists, and it's a sure way to elevate a can of soup. Salsa verde or other types of green sauce are an excellent way to incorporate acid, fresh herbs, and oil into most dishes. Drizzling in a spoonful is all it takes to take your soup from okay to amazing.

While cilantro, tomatillos, and parsley work great together, you can choose herbs and ingredients you love to customize your salsa verde. You can even look to similar condiments like chimichurri or chermoula to get inspiration. There are no rules when you're cooking in your kitchen, except what tastes good to you. You can make a jar in your blender and keep it in the fridge for use in canned soup and other meals throughout the week.