Give Canned Tomato Soup A Delicious Upgrade With A Jarred Ingredient Full Of Flavor

When we want to make canned tomato soup, that hallmark of low-budget struggle meals, into something transcendent, the answer is — surprise! — another pantry staple. Roasted red peppers add brightness and gorgeous, complex flavor to canned tomato soup, which can suffer from a bit of flatness on its own. You've seen this one-two flavor punch shine in gazpacho, and there's a good reason why it's also applicable in tomato soup: roasted flavors add so much dimension to the pot. It's one of the reasons we implored you to not overlook roasting tomatoes when making homemade soup, but it's a tip that can totally transform that Campbell's can you were considering for lunch or dinner, too.

Best of all, this won't tax you in terms of preparation. While there's a correct time to add peppers to stew (before and after you add your meat), you can blend roasted red peppers into your soup either before or after heating it up. What you want is a simple countertop blender or, for less mess, an immersion blender you can stick right in your saucepan. If you don't already have roasted red peppers in your cupboard, you can probably find them easily at your local supermarket. You can certainly roast your own sweet red bell peppers on a gas burner or in the oven with a little olive oil and some spare time, but we love the convenience and portability of the jarred variety.

Just blending roasted red peppers from their jar into your canned tomato soup will produce a lovely meal with big flavor, but we're forever riffing on our recipes, and this one is no exception. Perhaps the easiest way to really elevate your soup is to stir in cream instead of water. Creamy tomato soup is always popular, and that dairy unctuousness will translate beautifully into your soup that's been augmented with roasted red peppers. Milk or your choice of dairy alternatives are both perfectly cromulent subs if you don't have cream in the fridge.

We previously covered upgrading canned tomato soup with spicy sausage, and we love the idea of roasted red peppers' smokiness playing with the heat and savor of chorizo or sliced links. We might julienne some fresh basil to add green flair to such a savory pot, along with plenty of fresh-cracked black pepper. Also, adding meat and noodles to your red pepper and tomato soup really gives new meaning to "soup that eats like a meal."

And, of course, we would be remiss to talk about tomato soup without mentioning its constant companion, as there are foodies among us who won't look twice at tomato soup unless grilled cheese is involved. So, why not melt some roasted red peppers into your sando as well, possibly with a handful of fresh spinach? They'll compliment the soup in a lovely way, and your handheld will be all the bulkier for their addition.