Easy Canned Soup Recipes Can Spice Up A Cheap Meal

By Ken Kudra

Canned soup is an inexpensive meal that is easy to make. All you have to do is open up the can and heat up the contents. Unfortunately, this can get boring fast. What is an amateur cook to do? If you are in a hurry, you are probably not going to be able to cook a full meal from scratch. The good news is that you can improve any can of soup to make things more interesting, without things getting complicated.

The right additions can turn your canned soup from a bland sort of meal to a fabulous one. For instance, a few extra vegetables can make things a lot more fun. Chop up whatever you have around and saute it quickly in a pan, or just cook it a little in the microwave. Add the partially cooked veggies to your soups and improve the flavor right away.

Do not forget the frozen vegetables, either. Adding a handful of frozen corn or peas to a can of soup can make it a lot more interesting, especially when you are talking about chowders and cream soups. It does not get much easier than this - just add the veggies and heat.

Meat can make an excellent addition to soups, as well, and it is a great way to use up leftovers. For a tasty chicken soup, save bits from a previous chicken meal, warm them briefly in the microwave, and add to your canned meal for a better taste. Any kind of meat, including seafood, can be used. Just make sure you cook it thoroughly before eating, for safety's sake.

If leftovers are not common in your kitchen, you can try canned meats instead. Chicken, shrimp, or other options make a canned soup a lot more interesting. Add canned crab to a standard can of clam chowder for mixed seafood chowder. Put chicken in vegetable and noodle soups. Everyone loves a great cup of soup.

Leftover grains are a wonderful addition to soup meals, as well. Leftover rice, barley, or pilafs, a handful of extra noodles, and many other grains can add a bit of interest to a boring canned soup. Precooked grains can be added right to the soup when you heat it.

Spices and condiments can really change tastes, as well, and may make dull soups a lot more interesting. Garlic and onion, herbs, seasoning salt, hot pepper, or black pepper could be just what you need. Wine and sherry make things better, as do interesting vinegars. Try hot sauce, soy sauce, or even a little ranch (in a cream soup) and see what happens.

Cheese is great on top of soups, or heated in cream soups and chowders to create something new. Alternatively, try adding a spoonful of sour cream to a canned soup, after you have heated it up. The extra richness could make the meal a lot more appealing. - 30241

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