What’s cooking?

Hopefully it’s something to keep you cozy and warm! I’ve been stirring together a lot of soup recipes this month in the cafe’s kitchen and I’ve made some really good ones using canned soup.

What I love about canned soup is you can easily turn it into a meal just by adding an extra ingredient or two. Here are some of my favorite additions to three different kinds of canned soup.

Tortellini Tomato Soup

As a kid I liked to top tomato soup with crushed soda crackers. Now I prefer to make it hearty by adding cheese-filled pasta!

HOW TO MAKE: When the soup comes to a simmer in the pot, toss in 2 or 3 handfuls of frozen cheese tortellini or ravioli.The Italian dumplings take about 5 minutes to cook (when they float to the top they’re ready). Sometimes I also add a 1/4 teaspoon each of dried oregano and dried basil to make it extra savory!

Broccoli-Mushroom Soup

Broccoli is awesome in cream of mushroom soup! That is…if you like broccoli.

HOW TO MAKE: When the soup begins to bubble in the pot, add 1 cup of broccoli florets cut into bite size pieces. Cook for 5 minutes to slightly soften the fiber-rich broccoli. It’s extra good when topped with shredded Cheddar cheese! Yum!

Asian-Inspired Chicken Noodle Soup

I love chicken noodle soup and often tweak it with Asian inspired ingredients!

HOW TO MAKE: Simply add a teaspoon of soy sauce and a handful of frozen stir-fry vegetables when the broth comes to a boil in a pot. A teaspoon of grated fresh ginger is good in there too! Finish it with a dash (or two) of hot sauce and slurp away!  

How about you? What’s your favorite way to make canned soup more of a meal? The comments await your tasty soup ideas! Stay warm!