12 Low-Effort Canned Soup Hacks That Are Instant Upgrades

This works especially well in creamy soups like tomato or cream of mushroom, but you can give it a try with any soup. Just buy a premade pesto at the grocery store and use a teaspoon to add artful pesto dollops to the top of the soup.

If you're feeling fancy, thin the pesto with a little olive oil, put it in a squeezy jar, and swirl it on top of the soup.

Works well in: tomato soup, chicken noodle soup, cream of mushroom soup, minestrone 

Pick up a few jars of shelf-stable roasted red peppers packed in oil to keep on hand. Chop a few up and add them to your canned soup for some sweetness and color in all kinds of soups. 

Tastes great in: chicken noodle soup, tomato soup, split pea soup, black bean soup, vegetable beef soup

Give broth-based soups like chicken noodle a ph'o upgrade by warming it on the stove in a saucepan with 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and adding a star anise and a knob of fresh ginger. Simmer for about 10 minutes, remove the ginger and star anise, and serve it up.

Works well with: chicken soup, beef soup, chicken broth, beef broth

Fish sauce has a ton of umami flavor that can take a canned soup to the next level. You only need about a teaspoon (or less) along with a half teaspoon of garlic powder. Simmer the soup for five minutes, and you're good to go.

Works well with: chicken noodle soup, beef and potato soup, vegetable beef soup

Bacon makes everything better, including soup. Chop some bacon into small pieces and cook it in the pot you'll use to heat the soup on medium-high, cooking until the bacon is browned. Add about a half of a chopped onion to the bacon and fat and cook for another minute or two until the onion is transparent. Pour in the soup and any water that's required and warm the soup through.

Works well with: bean soup, black bean soup, cheese soup, chicken noodle soup, tomato soup, split pea soup, clam chowder

I love an egg on almost anything, and a lot of soups can totally benefit from it. So stir some frozen peas into your ramen and fry or soft-boil an egg and put it on the top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if you want, or garnish with some finely chopped green onion. You'll feel like a gourmand. 

Grab some precooked smoky ham, chop it up, and add it to soup as it cooks to add a smoky flavor that'll instantly upgrade the soup.

Tastes great in: chicken noodle soup, split pea soup, black bean soup, tomato soup, potato soup, mushroom soup, clam chowder, cheese soup

Give your soup a Southwestern flare by stirring in a cup of jarred salsa as the soup cooks. I like to do this with tomato soup, also adding some chopped jarred pickled jalapeños (because why not), a half cup of canned corn (drained), and finishing with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped avocado. 

Tastes great in: tomato soup, chicken noodle soup, butternut squash soup, black bean soup, beef & barley soup, cheese soup

I'm of the opinion that sriracha belongs in most foods. I love the bit of sweet and the bit of spice it gives to anything it touches (I even eat it on my eggs in the morning). This works for pretty much any hot sauce, from Tabasco to taco sauce, so feel free to go nuts.

Tastes great in: tomato soup, chicken noodle soup, split pea soup, butternut squash soup, baked potato soup, egg drop soup, ramen, ph'o

One of the things I love about the 21st century is that you can buy precooked rice at the grocery store in individual portions. So it's super easy to stir into soups for some extra carbs. You can also drain a can of your fave beans or lentils (I prefer black beans, myself) and stir those in. Add a jar of salsa or a pack of taco seasoning, and you're going to wind up with a yummy Southwestern soup that's way better than the can of soup you started with.

Works well in: chicken broth, beef broth, tomato soup, chicken soup, vegetable beef soup, bean soup

Fresh herbs add a ton of fresh flavors to canned soup. You'd be amazed at how much a tablespoon or two of chopped fresh chives, parsley, cilantro, or basil will improve the soup. Some of my favorites:

From a salad crouton to a crisply toasted piece of garlic bread, adding something crunchy to the top of your soup always takes it to the next level. Heck, I've crushed pretzels or potato chips on top of soup or topped it off with some pumpkin seeds or popcorn before. All of it? Delish! Here are some of my faves:

Whether you try one of these techniques or layer them on, it's super easy to turn a meh can of soup into a meal you'll really enjoy. So on those nights where you don't feel like cooking or ordering, bust open a can of soup and jeuje it up for a totally satisfying upgrade.