Canned Tomato Soup Becomes A Creamy Bisque In Seconds When You Add This Dairy Staple

Hand me a bowl of steamy tomato soup next to a perfect diner-style grilled cheese (cut diagonally, of course), and I'm instantly transported back to a cozy afternoon at my childhood kitchen table. While it's tough to improve on perfection, it's easy to make canned tomato soup even more delicious — and all it takes is a bit of heavy cream. Adding a few tablespoons of pre-whipped cream to your soup adds richness and depth for a bistro-like experience in your own kitchen, with just a minute or so of extra work.

Just like when you're adding butter to your pasta sauce, you'll want to add heavy cream to your tomato soup at the very end of cooking. Acidic foods like tomatoes can increase the chance of dairy separating into a curdled mess, so you'll want to take a few precautions to make sure you get a creamy, smooth soup, rather than an unsightly pot of slop. And thankfully, there are some easy tips and tricks you can put into practice to create a creamy, bistro-style tomato soup full of finesse at home.

First, make sure you're actually using the right dairy product. Whipping cream isn't the same as heavy cream and typically has less milk fat, so while you can use it, or half-and-half, whole milk, or another milk in a pinch, it won't have the same decadent effect — and risks curdling more easily. But heavy cream isn't the only thing that matters when making a creamy bisque — temperature also makes a difference. Instead of pouring the cream directly into the soup, you'll want to warm it slowly, a process known as tempering. Pour the cream into a bowl, then add a few small spoonfuls of hot soup to warm the mixture gradually before adding it to the main pot.

You should also consider punching up the flavor of your canned tomato soup (and you can certainly make an easy, tasty tomato soup from scratch, if you're feeling ambitious) beyond just adding heavy cream. While the fatty dairy adds a milky richness, it can tone down the tomato taste a tad. You can add extra flavor just before serving by sprinkling on chopped basil for freshness that will play nicely with both the acidity of the tomatoes and the richness of the cream. Pour yourself a bowl (drizzle a bit more heavy cream on top after it's cooled a bit, if you're feeling fancy), kick back, slice your grilled cheese, and enjoy every bite of your uber-creamy, bistro-style dinner.