Turn Canned Lentil Soup Into A New Meal With One Easy Step

Trust Reddit to have a hack for everything. On an old thread crowdsourcing opinions on how to jazz up canned lentil soup, there were some predictable replies: adding fresh veg or pouring the soup over a baked potato were just two. However, one Redditor suggestion was so innovative that it's not hyperbole to call it mind-blowing.

On its own, soup in a can is often just okay. Canned soup is salty and may often lack other flavor, but it's a reliable meal when you lack other options or can't be bothered to cook. It can shine when used as an ingredient in a more complex dish, however — for instance, using cream of mushroom soup as a creamy pasta sauce is seriously genius. 

To that end, you can use your stock of canned lentil soup as the basis for a vegetarian-friendly shepherd's pie. All you need to do is thicken the consistency of the soup with either a roux or a cornstarch slurry, season aggressively, and top with mashed potatoes. Then, you have a hot, craveable meatless dinner with just a little extra effort.

You should know before buying canned soup that not all brands are created equal. For the money, we like both the vegan lentil-vegetable soup by Amy's Soups, available in a 12-pack. Or, if you want less of a commitment, Progresso's lentil soup is part of its Vegetable Classic lines and is sold by the can. Any lentil soup will get the job done in your bang-up shepherd's pie, but a quality soup will make the heartiest meal. 

After thickening your lentil soup, give it a generous helping of spices and other ingredients, as lentils generally need help in the flavor department. Garlic powder, plenty of cracked pepper, and a dollop of tomato paste are a good start. If you want to get fancy and cook up some diced onion, carrot, peas, or just about any other veggie, they will enhance your mixture as well. Some Redditors even threw in cooked mushroom or tofu for a meatier base. Get creative!

If you want to commit to a vegan-friendly meal, you can make your mashed potato topping with a vegetable oil spread and dairy alternative. Again, seasoning is the name of the game. Plenty of roasted garlic and a generous application of fresh chives will make your spuds sing and compliment your thick, earthy lentil base deliciously. For bonus points, throw your shepherd's pie under the broiler in the oven for a few minutes and get the top toasty brown. Dinner is served!