12 Easy Ways to Dress Up a Can of Tomato Soup

Courtesy of Campbell'sJanet Taylor McCracker and Hannah Sullivan, Bon Appetit

We always seem to have a few extra cans of tomato soup kicking around our cabinets. While nothing is better than a hot bowl of the stuff with a grilled cheese sandwich, our recent Tomato Soup Taste Test left us thinking that when the grilled cheese is missing, that store-bought soup needs a little...help. Here are 14 creative add-ins to doctor up a classic.

1. Add a can of diced tomatoes, a bit of cream, and torn fresh basil leaves.

2. Swirl some red wine vinegar into the soup and serve with a stack of mozzarella and fresh basil leaves on a toasted baguette.

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3. Add a drizzle of pesto (homemade or store bought) and finish with toasted pine nuts and croutons.

4. Add a teaspoon or two of Thai red curry paste and some cooked rice, then top with cooked shrimp.

5. Rub a slice of bread with raw garlic, top with Gruyere, broil until cheese melts and bread is toasted, then float on your soup.

6. Add a teaspoon or two of sherry to the soup, then pour it over cooked farro, top with baby spinach, and crumble in goat cheese.

7. Sautee some chopped bacon and onions and set a little bacon aside. Pour the soup into the saute pan, add some cream, then pour soup into a bowl and garnish with reserved bacon.

8. Sautee bell peppers and onions, add the soup and a big squeeze of sriracha. Top with a fried egg and serve with crusty bread.

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9. Sautee onions, garlic, and slivered kale until tender. Add to the soup with a big squeeze of lemon. Top with shaved Parmesan.

10. Add cooked barley, cubed chicken breast, and spinach to soup in a sauce pan and warm through. Place in bowl and crumble a little feta on top.

11. Buy pre-made polenta and cut into squares. Sautee sliced swiss chard then set aside. Saute polenta in a little olive oil until warm, add the soup and chard, then shave Parmesan on top.

12. Sautee garlic and onion with an anchovy or two, add some diced tomatoes, capers, and pitted chopped olives. Pulse in a food processor and add as a relish on top of the soup with some fresh parsley. Serve with garlic bread.

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