The Case Against Using Canned Vegetables In Your Homemade Soup

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It's soup season, which means if you've got a few hours, you might think about tossing some winter soup ingredients in a stock pot and let the simmering do its magic. But if there's one ingredient you'll want to avoid using for the best possible results, it's canned vegetables. We're not the only ones who believe this, either. We spoke to Matthew Ryle, author of the book "French Classics: Easy And Elevated Dishes to Cook at Home," about why canned veggies aren't an ideal ingredient when it comes to homemade soup.

Ryle says that canned vegetables tend to lose a lot of their flavor and firmness once they've been cooked and preserved in that can. "By the time they reach your pot, their flavors have already been drawn out during processing, leaving you with fewer layers to build upon and a soup that tastes flatter than it should," he explains.

It's not just a matter of flavor. Canned vegetables also tend to soften after processing, which means you also lose any bite to them. While Ryle says that might work in something like a blended soup, fresh vegetables are ultimately superior, delivering on flavor, structure, and overall deliciousness. The only canned ingredients he tends to reach for are tomatoes, and on occasion, butter beans or chickpeas, both of which still remain firm after being canned.

If you want to avoid using canned vegetables, you can consider using frozen ones, which can be just as nutritious as the fresh version. The timing on when to use them is something you'll want to consider, because frozen veggies are inherently softer than fresh ones (as that freezing process breaks plant cell walls). You should put those veggies straight from frozen into your soup and check regularly to make sure that you don't overcook them — otherwise, you'll end up with a texture that's about the same as canned. Or, if you're a planner, try roasting some extra veggies the next time you're making dinner. You can repurpose the remainder for soup, and since they're already cooked, they'll only need to heat through.

So even though the siren call of convenience might sound good on paper, canned vegetables really aren't your best move. When deciding between rich and deep flavor or mushy peas and green beans, you know which option sounds better. Ditch the can and start chopping. You'll thank yourself after your first spoonful of soup.