How To Make Canned Soup Taste Like Homemade (2024)

It’s Worth the Extra Effort, Trust Me

Canned soups are quick and inexpensive but sadly lacking in everything else (except for a hefty dose of sodium). Think of them as a blank canvas. Here are some ideas to liven up your canned soups and make them taste more like homemade:

Sauté some onions and/or garlic: Low and slow is the way to go. Then deglaze the pan (a splash of wine will unstick all those caramelized yummy bits on the bottom of the pan). Stir these yummies into the soup.

Add protein: Leftover chicken or steak, some cooked diced ham or bacon or sausage (just a little — that soup is already salty). If you don’t want to add meat, think of what makes a bowl of ramen so yummy; a soft-cooked jammy egg could be just the thing.

More vegetables: This is a great place for leftover cooked veggies. If you are working with a creamed soup, consider pureeing some vegetables to stir in. Cooked cauliflower, potatoes, winter squash, or carrots would work really well.

Cheese: Sprinkle some cheese on top

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.

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.

Clean out the fridge: got cooked beans or rice, a dollop of sour cream, or a splash of heavy cream? That might be just what you need to make that soup taste more homemade.

Want some flavor combination suggestions (just to get your imagination firing)?

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Copyright©2023 Linda Lum (Facebook, Hub Pages, Pinterest) is a retired 
budget analyst for the Federal government, wife, mother, author, and lover 
of anything and everything to do with food history. 
Books: "Past and Present," "How Corned Beef Became Irish,” "Ask Carb Diva"