Cream of mushroom soup
It is commonly known, if not widely appreciated, that cream of mushroom soup The gloopy soup from a can is usually used as a gravy base for roast beef or meatloaf because it can be difficult to imagine as a filling meal on its own. On the other hand, adding aromatics to three tablespoons of butter—three chopped shallots and cloves of garlic, one teaspoon of dried thyme—adds layered flavor notes to a buttery soup, while tamari soy sauce, miso paste, and marsala wine produce an umami-rich cream of mushroom soup. The recipe calls for flour and vegetable broth if it were made from scratch, but since your soup is already prepared, you can omit those components. While the soup is still on the stove, you could add ½ cup of whole cream to the pot for a creamier canned soup.
Keeping things thick, you can use this recipe for creamy chanterelle soup as a substitute for canned soup, even if you don’t have chanterelles. For a delicious but easier version of the previous recipe, substitute 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion for the garlic and shallots, and replace the dried thyme with chopped fresh parsley.
According to a Delish interview with Food Celebrity, Ina Garten, 2 tablespoons of red wine or red wine vinegar in your bowl of lentil soup is the extra flavor hack you never knew you needed. While trying to find something to pack in some unexpected zing to her lentil soup, Garten is quoted in the interview as saying, “I just wandered to the refrigerator and pulled out some red wine vinegar and added just a splash to the huge pot. And that was it.” The acid in the vinegar helps lentil soup pop, and in fact, any acid including lemon or lime will have the same effect. The extra added bonus with pre-cooked canned soup is theres no danger of your lentils not softening as is the case with adding acid to uncooked, dry lentils.
You could also try adding some herb-infused yogurt. In a bowl, combine ½ cup Greek yogurt, 2 teaspoons finely chopped tarragon, 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley, and 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest. A dollop of this herbaceous dairy in a bowl of lentils gives your soup a more noticeable personality and a citrus tang, and stirring it into the bowl gives it a creamier, thicker mouthfeel.
Given that lentils are a staple of many South Asian cuisines, typically found in curries like daal, it makes sense to incorporate those flavor profiles into a spiced coconut lentil soup. In a pot, melt one heavy teaspoon of coconut oil and sauté one clove of garlic, one large red onion, one half red chili, and one knob of ginger. To truly capitalize on the Indian culinary influence, add your can of lentil soup to the pot along with a 10-ounce can of coconut milk. Spice it up with a teaspoon each of cumin, paprika, and ground coriander.
Cream of Chicken soup
Since chicken is added instead of mushrooms, cream of chicken soup has fewer potential PR problems than cream of mushroom soup. However, a can of soup lacks a little something, and experimenting with cultural fusion can brilliantly add your favorite flavors to your simple soup. Traditional South Asian flavor profiles like ginger, chilies, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and coconut milk are incorporated into Chicken Mulligatawny. You can give your soup more body by adding more protein in the form of chicken drumsticks and thighs that have been seasoned and browned in hot olive oil-heated pan. When all these ingredients are combined, your cream of chicken soup will taste much better than you had anticipated.
Another tip is to make a creamy chicken spinach soup by mixing in some spinach and shredded chicken breast. You can save a lot of time and have an improved can of soup in no time at all if you bring home a store-bought rotisserie chicken along with your canned cream of chicken soup. The spinach will also quickly wilt.
In our perspective, spiced pumpkin soup is far superior to pumpkin spice lattes. Once more, tapping into the flavor profiles of other cultures can yield quick fixes for your canned soup research. In this instance, Thailand serves as the cultural basis for Thai spiced pumpkin soup, a savory and spicy upgrade that takes a basic pumpkin soup to new heights. To create the authentic Thai flavor, add 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, Thai basil, and Thai red curry paste along with coconut milk. A perfect balance of tart and sweet can be achieved by combining 1 teaspoon of brown or coconut sugar with 2 tablespoons of lime or lemon juice. Savory and saccharine.
If you used all your coconut milk on the aforementioned lentil soup, you can still hack the creaminess factor of your soup by letting whole cream do the heavy lifting. Bring out more of the pumpkins essence with a topping of salted and roasted pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin also makes an appearance in a number of Indian curries, and as such, grated ginger, turmeric, and paprika steer you in the direction of a curried pumpkin soup.
A fatty, herb-seasoned ham makes a great addition to bean soups. Traditionally known by the U. S. Navy (and the U. S. Senate, which has been serving it for more than a century) as navy bean soup, is highly regarded for its thick, fatty, creamy texture by both politicians and sailors. A hearty, affordable, and expeditious dish, smoked ham hocks, or simply thinly sliced ham, provide the soup with a blend of tender beans and a rich, smoky taste.
To improve the body and nutritional value of your soup, add some fresh rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves to it. You can also sauté some garlic, onions, carrots, and celery. This will be a slow, two-hour adventure if the goal is fall-off-the-bone, juicy ham goodness. Of course, you can prepare premade ham in a quarter of the time if you just take it out of the package.
Another trick is to substitute tomato sauce and red wine vinegar for the ham and herbs. Two tablespoons of red wine vinegar and an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce give the soup a tangy burst of acidity, color, and substantial fullness. Alternatively, you could leave the ham in the soup and make pasta e fagioli with smaller pasta shells like macaroni or fusilli. When you add Spanish onions, green peppers, and bay leaves to black bean soup, you can expect a Spanish influence.
Theres just something about chicken noodle soup. Whether you or someone in your family has the sniffles and need a little extra TLC, or its a gray and rainy day out and you need some extra warmth, or just because, its the ultimate comfort food (thats actually also good for you — according to The New York Times, science may actually support claims of chicken soups medicinal value). And while its best if you can make chicken noodle soup from scratch, not everyone has the luxury of time to do so. Plus if the reason youre craving chicken noodle soup is because youre sick, then you may also not have the strength to put in all that effort.
The idea of whisking an egg into hot soup is already familiar to those who have had Chinese egg drop (or egg flower) soup or Italian Roman stracciatella soup. And its incredibly easy to do. Beat one or two eggs in a bowl while your canned chicken noodle soup is heating up. When the soup reaches a sufficient temperature, lower the burner to a simmer and begin stirring it in one direction. Slowly pour the bowl of whisked eggs into the soup while stirring. After letting the eggs sit in the hot soup for about a minute, turn off the heat and serve, maybe garnishing with some finely chopped green onions or scallions. Thats it.
That’s when that can of prepared chicken noodle soup comes in handy; soups are among the greatest canned foods to have in your pantry for a reason. But that doesn’t mean you have to accept the status quo of your tasteless canned chicken noodle soup. You can add flavor, texture, or nutrition to canned soup in a variety of ways. Whisked eggs are a simple addition that enhances chicken noodle soup in three ways.
Of course, you can also use some of the other techniques for improving boxed broth for chicken noodle soup, like adding a small amount of acid, like vinegar or lemon juice, adding some peeled ginger slices for extra anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits, or adding some dried or fresh herbs for more taste and depth.
