Canned chicken noodle soup is great when you need a quick meal that's filling and nutritious. However, it's still a far cry from the homemade variety. Although the broth is tasty, the chicken itself can be meager, leaving you with more noodles and liquid than chunks of meat. Plus, the small cubes of chicken that you'll usually find in these canned soups are often lacking in flavor and have a drier texture than chicken you'd cook on your own.
Just because this is the case, however, doesn't mean you have to settle and confine yourself to what comes in the can. Instead, why not elevate your chicken soup by stirring in some of your own cooked chicken? Doing so can give your soup an extra kick of protein, making every spoonful heartier. Plus, unlike the chicken that comes in store-bought soup, freshly cooked chicken has a juicier bite and stronger flavor. The result is a soup that tastes just a little more homemade, even though it still came from a can.
The first thing to think about as you stir your extra protein into your canned soup is exactly what kind of chicken you'll use. You can cook up some chicken breast, or this could be a good time to use up the rest of a rotisserie chicken sitting in your fridge. In fact, the broth can reheat chicken without drying it out, making this a great way to keep your leftovers moist and tasty — and enjoy fresh flavor without the hassle of cooking.
Whichever you pick, one thing to note is that it's best not to use breaded chicken. The breading can start to disintegrate in the soup, leaving you with mushy chunks throughout. Similarly, if you use chicken that has the skin on, you may want to take this off before adding the protein to the soup — otherwise the pieces could get soggy and lend an oily consistency to the broth.
Additionally, don't forget that you'll need to cut, chop, or shred the chicken you choose. The goal is to create bite-sized chunks that are easy to scoop up alongside the noodles and veggies in your meal, so you get a balanced spoonful.
Other Ways To Give Canned Soup A Homemade Taste
Adding cooked chicken to your soup isn't the only way to bulk it up and improve the flavor. You can also try stirring in some other additions. A similar option is to mix in some extra vegetables. Remember, heating up canned soup means you don't cook the broth as long as you would if you were making it from scratch. So, you'll want your veggies to already be cooked to ensure they don't wind up crunchy and raw in your bowl. This is a great way to use up your leftovers, such as steamed broccoli or grilled carrots.
Besides adding vegetables to your soup, another option is to play around with stirring in herbs and spices. If you love food with some zing to it, drizzling in some hot sauce can be a great way to bring on the heat and give your soup an extra edge. Or, mix in some parsley, dill, or other fresh herbs to lend different tasting notes to your meal. With these tips, you should have no problem making canned soup that's packed with homemade flavor — all without having to go through the extra effort of actually making your meal from scratch.
If you love food with some zing to it, drizzling in some hot sauce can be a great way to bring on the heat and give your soup an extra edge. Or, mix in some parsley, dill, or other fresh herbs to lend different tasting notes to your meal.
If you love food with some zing to it, drizzling in some hot sauce can be a great way to bring on the heat and give your soup an extra edge. Or, mix in some parsley, dill, or other fresh herbs to lend different tasting notes to your meal.
Garlic and onions make everything tastier! While the soup is cooking on the stove, sautee onions and garlic, adding them into the soup towards the end of cooking. Or for an aromatic that'll give a refreshing flavor, add chopped ginger into the soup while it's still cooking, stirring it in to blend the flavors together.
For a deeply flavorful chicken soup, get some boneless, skinless chicken thighs, season them, brown them in a skillet, then finish them in a 375 F oven. You can refrigerate them until you're ready to make the soup, then simply dice them up and add them to the soup at the very end.
Season it. Salt and pepper are the basic ones. Adding soup base is another good way to kick it up a notch as is adding a little acid. You can use lemon juice or vinnegar but be sparing, a little is awesome but too much is overpowering.
"Ground paprika, turmeric, nutmeg, ground ginger, and other powdered spices add a touch of color and spiciness to broths," she says. As a general rule, use fresh herbs at or near the end of cooking and dried herbs and spices early on.
Cardamom pods, allspice berries, cumin, coriander, yellow mustard, fennel, and peppercorns are all fair game. Per quart of stock, toast any of those ingredients—check your pantry and pick two to four—in a dry pot until fragrant, then add the stock and simmer.
By adding a splash of an acidic ingredient to your soup as you cook it, you'll reduce the need to add as much salt, while still highlighting and deepening the flavors in the pot.
For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.
I'd use a base of onions, celery, and garlic. Then I would use spices and herbs to give the soup a specific flavor: an Italian spice mix, or a Mexican mix, or even a curry mix. I'd put in fresh seasonal vegetables and plenty of fresh-ground pepper. I might add a small can of salt-free tomato sauce or some coconut milk.
The secret to a flavorful chicken noodle soup lies in the broth. Instead of using store-bought broth, consider making your own. Simmer chicken bones, aromatic vegetables like onions and carrots, and herbs such as bay leaves and thyme to create a rich and flavorful base.
Consider introducing flavor boosters, like a splash of white wine, an old Parm rind, a splash of soy sauce, or a dollop of miso paste into the mix. And, if all else fails, increasing the quantity of the aromatics in a recipe—onions, garlic, celery, herbs, etc.
Dried herbs and spices are the easiest and most budget-friendly way to add flavor to your canned soup. They'll last forever in your pantry, and you don't need to add much to get a good kick.
Having a couple of cans of soup on standby is a good idea for some cozy, lazy meals. You can upgrade your favorite chicken noodle soup by adding an egg or some crackers. Freshly grated parmesan, hot sauce, or sausage can also amp up a can of soup.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Carey Rath, I am a faithful, funny, vast, joyous, lively, brave, glamorous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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