This Canned Ingredient Makes Soup 10x More Filling

Soups are usually a slow build of flavors, with ingredients assembled layer by layer. First comes the aromatics, then the sauteed veggies and browned meat, all unravel over a long simmer — but not before they're joined by a broth or water. Canned chili rarely makes it onto the recipe, and it's high time it did. Use this pantry staple as an alternative to typical soup bases, and you will discover yet another easy way to elevate your favorite comfort dish.

Gone are the days of light soups that barely hit the spot. When yours is chili-based, it's hearty from the get-go. After all, canned chili has already got everything — filling ingredients like beef or pork and beans, along with intense seasonings, a rich sauce, and a tangy depth that comes to life with warmth and heat.

This convenient shortcut will save you from overthinking the process as you scatter a myriad of condiments over the kitchen counter, wondering whether you've used too much or too little. It's a one-ingredient, effortless jump straight to the kind of flavor complexity we often search for in soups. From there on, just bulk up this base with your own culinary creativity. It will only get better with every addition tossed into the pot.

Using canned ingredients to make a soup is not at all a far-fetched idea. In fact, Ree Drummond's 7-Can soup is the cheap, endlessly customizable dinner everyone should know, and at its heart, you will always find a can of chili. True to the name, this main ingredient is then joined by other canned staples, such as chopped tomatoes, various types of beans, green chiles, corn, and anything else you've got. Dump everything into the pot, no draining needed to preserve that salty edge, stir some cheese in at the end, and there you have it — the easiest, most filling soup made under 30 minutes.

Much like how you would add canned soup to chili for a more robust, sweeter flavor, the same ingredient combination also works in this case. Canned tomato soup is an obvious choice, but you can also experiment with the many other canned soups available, like bean soup, beef soup, and vegetable soup. With a little adjustment, perhaps taco seasonings, some actual ground beef, and tortilla chips on the side, you can even make a full-blown taco soup. Alternatively, when macaroni pasta joins the mix, you will have something that resembles an old-fashioned chili mac soup. Load it up with vegetables and a few Italian herbs, and you'll have a chili minestrone. Sometimes, you don't even need to forego the broth. Use chicken broth whenever you need to loosen the soup's consistency, add canned potatoes and shredded chicken, and have yourself the perfect company for cold winter nights.