The Best Shortcut For Tasty Soups Is Already Sitting In Your Fridge

When the temperatures start to drop and you break out your favorite turtleneck sweater, it's the perfect time to whip up your favorite comforting soup recipe. Whether it's split pea or classic chicken noodle, adding pickle brine to your broth is the secret to creating the most delectable soup you've ever tasted.

You might be thinking, "Pickle juice? With soup? What?" But surprisingly, just a small splash of this brine will liven up the dish, bringing to life a saltier, tangier flavor profile. The best part is you probably don't even need to go to the grocery store — there's likely a jar of pickles sitting in your refrigerator right now. The amount of brine you use depends on your preference: just a dash will add subtle pickle notes, but if you're a certified gherkin aficionado, feel free to add more. To take it a step further, toss in a few chopped pickles, giving each slurp more texture.

While pickle brine can enhance almost any soup (as long as it doesn't contain dairy, which could lead to curdling), it pairs especially well with mushroom, meatball, tomato, and gazpacho soups. Chicken tortilla and Tuscan white bean are also tempting potential pickle brine soup candidates.

Along with adding pickle brine, there are other hacks to bring your soup to new heights — including finishing your chicken noodle soup with vodka for unrivaled flavor. Toward the end of cooking your soup, toss in a splash of this hard liquor to amplify the broth's flavor.

Additionally, adding salsa can effortlessly upgrade your soup. It doesn't matter what your heat preferences are (anything from mild to super spicy works) — just add a scoop of your favorite chunky or smooth salsa to any kind of soup. This will not only incorporate more texture and zest, but also brighten the dish's colors. A Thai spiced pumpkin soup might benefit from a fruitier salsa, whereas a tortilla soup will crave the classic chunky version.

If you're in the mood for a denser and thicker meal, try pouring some V8 juice into your next beef stew. Not only will this thicken the sauce, but the drink will also enhance the vegetable-forward flavor (since V8 is full of carrots, celery, beets, and of course, tomatoes).