My 1-Ingredient Upgrade for Better Canned Soups (It Costs Zero Dollars)

When I was a kid, I lived close enough to my elementary school to come home for lunch. One of my go-to meals? A bowl of Campbell's tomato soup, heated up on the stove. Sweet and salty, thick and creamy—it’s a flavor combo I’ve never quite been able to replicate with homemade versions.

As an adult, while I love the ritual of making soup from scratch, the convenience (and nostalgia) of grabbing a can from the cupboard, heating it in a few minutes, and pairing it with grilled cheese (if I’m feeling ambitious) still feels close to perfection.

But I have a trick—one small, surprising upgrade—that makes canned soups even better: a couple of ice cubes.

Why You Should Add Ice Cubes to Canned Soup

This ingenious addition is courtesy of my mom. It's a hack born out of necessity when I was an impatient kid who could never wait for my soup to cool. To save me from burning my tongue (yet again), my mom would plop an ice cube or two into my bowl, and I would stir them into the soup. This instantly cooled the soup and made it ready to eat.

It wasn’t until I started heating canned soups for myself that I realized the ice cubes didn’t just save me from scalding my mouth—they also slightly thinned the soup, reducing some of the salt, but not too much.

One cube is equivalent to one ounce (or two tablespoons) of water, making it easy to control the consistency of the soup. Start with one ice cube to taste; add another if your soup tastes too salty or feels too thick.

It's Not Just for Tomato Soup

This hack works particularly well with thick or cream-based soups like tomato, mushroom, or broccoli cheddar. Salt-smart versions and broth-based soups like chicken noodles or minestrone can also benefit from an ice cube, but start with one or add a smaller cube to prevent too much dilution.

Ultimately, this is all up to personal taste! Depending on how you like your soup, you might want more or fewer cubes than I recommend.

If your soup contains cream or dairy, don’t worry about the ice causing it to separate into a clumpy mess. According to chef Zachary Resnick, “The small amount of ice isn't enough to break a stable emulsion [causing separation]. But also, by stirring, you're encouraging the emulsion to stay emulsified. Canned soups also usually have stabilizers (even sugars like glucose or fructose).”