The Unexpected Ingredient For Bolder, Saltier Soup

Whether you're trying to dress up canned soup or you're making a homemade soup or stew, there's one easy way to upgrade it: gravy. Simply pour some into the soup or use it as the base and add stock, water, or milk to thin it out. Either way, the gravy can help to deepen the flavor, add some saltiness, and even make it more rich.

The type of gravy you choose to use depends on the soup. For soups that incorporate poultry, like chicken noodle, turkey gravy might work well, while a vegetable beef soup may be best complemented by a meaty brown gravy. Meanwhile, vegetable-based soups can benefit from the addition of mushroom gravy. And if a creamy soup is what you're looking for, try repurposing some leftover sausage gravy or the cream gravy you might drizzle over country fried chicken or steak. Finally, the one variety that may not thicken your soup or stew, but will give it a truly unique flavor profile is red-eye gravy, a combination of bacon fat and coffee.

Using a store-bought jar or leftover gravy is clearly the easiest way to hack your way to a better bowl of soup, but you can make your own, too. Just avoid some of the common mistakes people make when they're whipping up gravy. Adding a lumpy gravy or under-seasoned sauce to your soup will surely defeat the purpose.

There is no shortage of ways to put gravy to work. It's a versatile ingredient that can help take a variety of dishes to the next level, or it can just make your recipes a breeze. If you have a jar of beefy brown goodness and are a fan of poutine, you're already one-third of the way to having a plate of it. Or mix gravy with sautéed veggies and ground meats for a quick sauce that you can toss with pasta or ladle over rice or polenta.

You can also transform mushroom, beef, chicken, or turkey gravy into a creamy sauce by mixing it with sour cream. Then, spoon it over top of meatballs, baked or mashed potatoes, or veggies for a simple topping that's a cinch to make.

Finally, you can use it as a condiment. Use it as is or jazz it up with herbs and seasonings and serve it alongside fries, tater tots, or chicken tenders. Or, up your condiment game even further by adding the gravy to mayonnaise, making it into a spread that's perfect for sandwiches and burgers.