How to Make Campbell’s Tomato Soup Better? 12 Tips
Canned soup is not the tastiest meal ever, but it’s convenient and satisfactory when you want to eat something warm on the go. Tomato soup alone served for lunch won’t keep you full for a long time, though. The good thing is that it has a bland taste overall, which makes it suitable for customizing its taste and sides according to your preference. So, read on and learn how to make Campbell’s tomato soup better.
Swapping water for milk will result in a creamier and richer soup. Add spices, herbs, more vegetables, bacon, or flavored oil to get a new dimension of flavors. You can also serve it with croutons, bruschetta, or eggs for a more nutritious meal experience.
I’m often in a hurry, but I’m not too fond of canned food’s bland taste. Still, I’ve learned how to make the best of it through the years. You can make a warm, homemade-style meal in 5 minutes with just a handful of tricks and additions – stay with me and find out how!
Add Layers
To make tomato soup taste more intense, add more tomato. Adding various kinds of the same ingredient will deepen the taste of the dish, as they have different levels of sourness and sweetness. You can add fresh tomatoes, canned diced tomatoes, or whole peeled tomatoes.
For example, if you like your soup slightly more on the sweeter side, opt for ripe heirloom tomatoes and for green or yellow if you like it a bit bitter. These are juicy and have a silky texture which makes them superb to blend in a creamy soup. Terrific fresh tomato options are roma and tomatoes on the vine, too.
When using fresh tomatoes, dice and sizzle them with a few drops of olive oil to draw out the taste. If you choose canned tomatoes, simmer them too. You don’t have to add olive oil or butter here, but it will enrich the taste undoubtedly.
Use the Dairy Instead of Water
For a creamier soup, add milk or, even better, heavy cream. Soup diluted with water has a thin consistency and can taste a bit bland. So, add dairy instead if you don’t mind additional fat and calories.
Milk will yield a fuller flavor and creamier texture. You can even use low-fat milk if you want to save some calories. Milk will also add to the total protein count, but if you want to go a step further, you can use high-protein milk.
Another option is adding heavy cream, which will give you the smoothest buttery texture. If you are worried about too many calories, you can water it down by adding milk or water so your tomato soup will get more flavor but with fewer calories.
In case you are lactose intolerant or simply don’t want milk in your soup, you can use ground flaxseed to thicken your soup. This way, besides flavor, you also add fiber and nutritional value to Campbell’s tomato soup to keep you full for a longer time.
Simmer It Longer
Simmering the soup longer will bring out more flavor and meld the taste. Be careful not to overcook it, though, as vigorous cooking destroys the savor and makes your soup too thick. Make sure to simmer it for a longer time on a medium-to-low temperature to intensify the flavors, and get piquant and condensed soup, perfect for winter days.
Spice It Up
Add some spice to your Campbell’s tomato soup! The best spices to give your soup some flavor are garlic, chili, and dried herbs. Thyme, parsley, basil, rosemary, and oregano also blend wonderfully with tomatoes. Make sure to toast dry herbs in a skillet for a minute to draw out their tastes to the maximum.
For a spicy, peppery flavor, add pepper flakes, chili powder, and ground pepper. To intensify the spiciness with a citrusy and warm aroma, add a pinch of cumin and coriander. Also, a few drops of lemon juice or aceto balsamico after cooking the soup will do the job, too.
Make a Vegetable Base
Onion, celery, carrots, and bell peppers are the classic base for any soup. Finely diced veggies seethed for a longer time will have a stronger and savory drive, while those sautéed briefly are more sugary.
Cauliflower and broccoli will also blend nicely with hearty tomatoes as they have a mild taste. Moreover, they will condense the soup well, with minimal change of flavor. This way, you can consume more hidden vegetables and nutrients without even knowing.
Croutons and Bruschetta
Top the buttery soup with extra crispy bread cubes and add some texture to your tomato soup. To add more flavor, bathe them in garlic or herb butter before toasting. If you have store-bought croutons, just toss them in your soup bowl and garnish them with fresh basil.
Bruschetta is a simple but effective way to make your Campbell’s tomato soup better. Top them with mozzarella, basil, chicken tenders, prosciutto, or chopped olives. The tanginess of black or green olives is a delightful addition to all of these components while complimenting the mild taste of tomato soup.
Serve It With Grilled Cheese
Everything is better with toast! The buttery texture of tomato soup goes wonderfully with crispy golden toast. For an even better taste, trickle olive oil or smear some butter on both sides of the bread and bake it till golden brown.
Then you’re only left to choose your favorite cheese to broil. Sharp cheddar and gouda offer a perfect mix of sweetness and nuttiness with a pinch of tanginess. You can even pair it with mozzarella!
Whit its milk base and floral tone, it pairs well with tart and spicy tomato soup and provides that cool aftertaste. American cheese is the most obvious pick – just peel the foil, and pop it in the oven.
It melts fast, and its creaminess couples well with a crunchy crust. For more flavor to simple cheese toast, spread some garlic over oven-fresh bread slices. If you like it a bit spicy, you can even dust your toast with chili flakes.
Make a Bread Bowl
If you want to get fancy, serve your tomato soup in a bread bowl. You can make your own bread or just slice open a store-bought loaf. To make it more savory, spread garlic butter on the crust, and bake till golden.
Go a step further and combine three ideal comfort foods – soup, bread, and cheese. Coat the inside of the bread with cheese; American is easiest to use here, and bake it till crispy-brown. Just pour your soup in, and enjoy your comfort meal.
Add Meat
If you want to eat soup but make it stronger and more caloric to survive these ice-cold days, add some bacon. Sizzle a few strips of bacon until crispy, and add the can of Campbell’s tomato soup to the same pot. Don’t remove the bacon grease; that’s where all the flavor is.
Pesto, Cream, Sauce, and More
Cook the Campbell’s tomato soup according to the instructions, but add a finishing touch at the end. Add some basil pesto, and with it, a splash of radiant green color swirled in the scarlet bisque. This is how you get a high-end-looking dish with only two simple ingredients.
You can either use store-bought or homemade pesto. If you opt for homemade, add some pine nuts, unsalted cashews, or parmesan. Basil definitely has an overpowering taste, so it combines perfectly with nutty flavors.
Sour cream is an obvious finishing touch for your tomato soup. For a pinch of acidity, you can also add yogurt or crème fraîche. These three ingredients are pretty thick, so they incline to curdle on the heat. This is why you should not cook but swirl it cold into steaming soup.
A few drops of hot sauce at the end are an effortless way to spice things up. Tabasco, sriracha, chili habanera sauce, or any other sauce you fancy will enhance the piquancy. To mitigate the robust flavors, serve your soup with fresh mozzarella and basil on a baguette.
One more clever and quick option is drizzling the soup with flavored oil. Make a dull bowl of soup more interesting with a few drops of oil enriched with lemon, rosemary, garlic, oregano, thyme, or chili. This is how you make a delicacy out of a boring can of tomato soup.
Add Toasted Nuts and Seeds
To make your tomato soup taste better, add toasted nuts and seeds to intensify the nutty flavors and crunchiness. Almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds are all perfect options. You can blend them and mix them in the soup as a puree or sprinkle them whole for the texture.
Get a dash of the Middle East and add a pinch of cumin and paprika. Their earthy and bittersweet notes incorporate well with tomato. Feel free to add a spoonful of seeds and nuts to enrich this simple dish, but keep it simple with spices.
Make Shakshuka
Shakshuka is a Northern African classic, but it takes a lot of time, so if you’re in a hurry, here’s a faster solution. Simmer the can of tomato soup till dense, and add a drizzle of hot sauce. Crack some eggs into the soup and cover the pot with a lid, preparing them as poached eggs.
This is a quick and easy trick to add high-quality protein to Campbell’s tomato soup. If you have some time, add thin-sliced onions and red bell peppers and let them sizzle until soft. Then pour the can of soup and follow the steps above. Remember to add a dash of cumin and smoked paprika for that earthy flavor.
Improved Campbell’s Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 can Cambell's Tomato Soup 10.75 oz can
- 1¼ cup Water
- 3 slices Bacon
- 1 tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
Instructions
- Slice the bacon. You can even slice it into smaller pieces as it will be easier to eat. Sizzle the slices of bacon in a pot until crispy.
- Add Campbell's tomato soup and water, put it on low heat, and stir frequently. When it is all warm, turn off the heat.
- Separate the soup into two plates and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. Serve while warm.
