The 3-Ingredient Trick For Making A Heartier Meal From Canned Soup

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We previously covered how turmeric is the single-ingredient instant upgrade to canned chicken noodle soup, but how about a one-two combo of add-ins that will transform your chicken soup into a full meal? A good, chunky chicken noodle soup — we recommend one of the better cans from our soup-er store-bought ranking of the best and worst — is already a nice light lunch, but how can you zhuzh it up into a hearty meal that will refuel your tank after a long day? The answer is broth and canned biscuits, which, when combined, can repurpose your ordinary soup into a delicious take on chicken and dumplings.

Best of all, this hack is a quick and easy shortcut to a belly-warming dinner. All you have to do is pour your canned soup into a saucepan (multiple cans may be needed to feed a family), thin it out with a few splashes of chicken broth, and quarter some refrigerated biscuit dough. You can use a plain knife, but an ergonomic pizza cutter will make the job much faster. Simmer the covered pan for about 20 minutes, and presto! The biscuits will absorb a lot of liquid and lose their sticky, doughy consistency, fluffing up into a close facsimile of homemade dumplings. 

Using simple condensed cream of chicken soup, you can make dumplings and sauce that are a fit accompaniment for rice or noodles, but deploying a nice, filling chicken noodle soup really takes this over the top into entrée territory. Three ingredients are all you need, but there's no reason for you to stop there. This is a dish that invites experimentation and resourcefulness.

With just a little more effort, you can really take this "recipe" — which is honestly too simple to merit the distinction — and add to it in order to really create something special. Did you happen to stop by Costco recently and grab one of its rotisserie chickens (which are never more than two hours old)? Shred the leftover meat into your pot for a little extra oomph. Likewise, feel free to add some extra egg noodles or seasonings! We mentioned turmeric, which will bring both a lovely golden color and pleasant, peppery savor, but onion powder, garlic, Italian seasoning, or fresh peppercorn are all tasty additions. When leftover chicken isn't in the fridge or you want a meatless protein boost, we also ain't mad at a little fusion of egg drop soup and dumplings made by swirling a few beaten eggs into your pot before topping the mix with biscuits. Speaking of eggs, some internet denizens like to brush their dumplings with an egg wash before simmering.

Actually, you don't need to draw the line at chicken soup, either. We can't help but feel that something really yummy and beautiful could happen if you purchased a beef-based soup, like Campbell's Chunky Savory Pot Roast, added beef broth, and then topped it with "dumplings" as usual. Or, if you are serving vegetarians, grab a hearty vegetable soup, add veggie broth, and proceed. Once you get the knack of this soup upgrade, you'll never be short of inspiration!