Canned Tomato Soup Is The Secret To Tangy Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Your go-to pulled pork recipe is about to get a porky little facelift. All it takes is a can of condensed tomato soup, and you can usually snag the star ingredient for a little over a dollar. The bright, creamy taste of the tomato soup complements and juxtaposes the rich depth of the pulled pork. To make it work for your next batch, add the tomato soup instead of all or some of the barbecue sauce you ordinarily use. Feel free to play with proportions to customize the flavor profile to your liking.

For example, adding a can of tomato soup to this Apple Cider Smoked Pulled Pork recipe would add a tangy kick, doubling up on the existing acidity notes of the apple cider. Or, you can add it to this Easy Pulled Pork recipe, which uses yellow mustard, garlic salt, and paprika. The addition of robust tomato flavor would emphasize the savory notes. Plus, for fix-it-and-forget-it meal prep, all of these flavorful ingredients stew together in a crock pot, loading your pulled pork with mad flavor as it cooks. Tomato soup pulled pork only requires a handful of pantry staples to throw together, and it makes a great slow-cooker meal for busy weeknights, fall tailgates, backyard barbecues, and more. You can even transport the pulled pork in the slow cooker you made it in, plug it in at the function, and set the device to its "warm" setting to keep your pulled pork toasty all evening long.

This upgrade is also a good exercise in honing your palate. You're probably going to need to adjust the sugar and salt content of your go-to pulled pork marinade to balance out the acidic tang of the condensed tomato soup. Luckily, research and development can be especially fun in the kitchen. 

You could achieve balance by adding sweetness through maple syrup, molasses, or brown sugar. If you prefer your pulled pork on the savory side, add chili powder, Old Bay seasoning, onion powder, garlic salt, cumin, or garam masala. Or, to make the profile lean smoky, season your tomato soup pulled pork marinade with smoked paprika or a splash of liquid smoke. This flavorful tomato soup-infused pulled pork makes a killer sandwich on a soft white bread bun or semolina roll. Or, make a flavorful sandwich with your tomato-infused pulled pork, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and a generous smear of horseradish on thick slabs of rye bread. 

But, sandwiches are only the beginning of the kaleidoscope of ways to put your tomato pulled pork to good use. Fill tacos and enchiladas, stir it into red beans and rice, or use it to top a loaded baked potato. Leftovers will last for three days in an airtight container in the fridge, or up to three months in the freezer.