Canned soup, made better

My favorite section of the neighborhood grocery store happens to be the non-perishable aisle, where boxed broths, bouillon cubes, instant noodles and other handy pantry staples live. It’s where I spend the most time, too, brainstorming stretch meals and challenging myself to piece together a culinary puzzle of shelf-stable ingredients and other embellishments. Recently, in an effort to slim down my expenses, I’ve been reaching for more canned goods — notably, soups.

Growing up, canned soups were bought in bulk purely as emergency meals. Preparing for a gnarly thunderstorm that would probably wipe out our power? Stock up on the Campbell’s and Progresso. Bracing ourselves for a ruthless winter storm? Stock up on more Campbell’s and Progresso. Preparing for peak cold and flu season? Be sure to stock up on Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup.

Now, in adulthood, the humble canned soup is fulfilling a different purpose. It’s become one of my go-to lazy meals for days when I have zero effort or desire to do any real cooking. I’ll admit, one can of soup usually isn’t enough to satisfy my hunger. Typically, I’ll pop open two cans, pour the contents into my designated soup bowl, heat it in the microwave and indulge.

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I’ll be honest, though: Canned soup, while cost-effective, isn’t the most flavor-forward. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the soup as it is. But if you’re looking for ways to spruce up your soups, here are my favorite ways to upgrade them into a meal that tastes fresher and more homemade.

Sauté your aromatics

I’ve noticed that most canned soups, whether cream-based or broth-heavy, lack the fragrant, punchy flavors of fresh aromatics. I’m talking the basics: garlic and onions. While powders and natural flavorings may provide a smidge of seasoning, they’re still pretty weak, especially if you’re trying to mimic the taste of restaurant-quality soups.

Luckily, the solution is quite easy: add in those fresh aromatics yourself. I like to caramelize yellow onions with butter and a pinch of salt before adding a clove or two of fresh garlic, stirring continuously to prevent them from burning. I’ll do this over medium-low heat in a small saucepan. Then, I’ll pour in my choice of soup, allowing it to heat up with the aromatics and incorporate those strong flavors. Within minutes, your kitchen will smell heavenly — and dinner is served.

The best part about this upgrade is that it works with any kind of canned soup. Try it with a bowl of cream of mushroom or minestrone. It’s also perfect for elevating canned chili.

Squeeze in lemon juice

A dash of acid never hurt a bowl of soup. My go-to acid is fresh lemon juice, which elevates soups in different ways. In a hearty lentil-and-vegetable soup, lemon juice contrasts those earthy, spicy flavors with tang and a hint of sweetness. In a lighter, brothy soup (like a chicken and dumplings soup), the juice adds a bit of freshness. And in soups that call for a good amount of dairy (like a tomato soup), it helps cut through that richness.

Regardless of the type of canned soup I’m enjoying, I find that it’s best to add the lemon juice at the very end, once I’m done heating everything up in the microwave or on the stove. I’ll cut up a few wedges of lemon and squeeze them on top of my soup — even saving a few extra wedges to squeeze in between spoonfuls. I prefer fresh lemon juice, but the stuff in the bottle also works great.

Craving spice? Bring out the hot sauce

Perhaps my biggest complaint with canned soups is that they lack heat. It’s why I always have my hot sauce on standby. Stir it into your soup or add a dash as you’re eating. I find that it doesn’t matter when you decide to mix in your hot sauce. It really depends on your taste preferences and how much spice you’re craving in the moment.

Hot sauce is also the perfect shortcut for adding more seasoning to your soup. There’s heat, acidity and flavor all in one neatly packaged bottle.

I like to switch up my hot sauces depending on the soup. Sriracha is my go-to condiment for a Thai coconut soup, also known as Tom Kha Phak. Tabasco works great in a mild chicken tortilla soup or a light noodle soup with chicken and vegetables. A simple hot sauce, like Frank’s RedHot, pairs exceptionally well in a potato soup (like Campbell’s Cream of Potato or Progresso’s Rich & Hearty Loaded Potato with Bacon and Cheese). And a masala-focused hot sauce (like Maggi’s Masala Chilli Sauce), along with chili oil, is stellar in lentil soups.

Make things cheesy

Especially for creamy, dairy-based soups. I like to grate the cheese from a fresh block or chunk and add it once my soup is done heating up. I’ll then add some more as a garnish, once I’ve poured my soup into a bowl. Don’t restrict yourself to one kind of cheese — play around with your flavors and throw in two, three, even four varieties of fromage.

I like making a homemade Mexican three-cheese blend, using freshly shredded mild cheddar, Monterey Jack and Colby cheese, and sprinkling it on top of canned chicken tortilla soup or a roasted red pepper and tomato soup.

Other cheese options include freshly grated gruyère, a classic choice for French Onion soup; Parmigiano-Reggiano, which is perfect in tomato-forward pasta soups; and crumbly goat cheese, which complements butternut squash soup or pumpkin bisque.

Throw in a soft-boiled egg

Craving the look and feel of a large bowl of ramen? Simply warm up a can of noodle soup, like Campbell’s Condensed Asian-Style Chicken Noodle Soup or Campbell’s Condensed Chicken Wonton Soup, and top it with finely chopped scallions, nori, chili crisp and — the star of the meal — a jammy egg. You can also zhuzh up your egg(s) by marinating them in a sweet-savory mixture of soy sauce, mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine) and sesame oil. Keep in mind that the eggs need to be kept in the refrigerator for eight to 12 hours, so be sure to do this the night before enjoying.

Of course, if soft-boiled eggs aren’t your cup of tea, you can always make them hard-boiled. Sunny side up and fried eggs are also excellent options for when you’re running low on time and need some extra protein ASAP.

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