For those who are entirely new to the art of cooking, or those whose creations always turn out all right rather than just right, the practice of seasoning food can seem quite daunting. Often times those friends or acquaintances you consider the best cooks excel at seasoning. Their skill with flavoring often makes replicating their recipes impossible.

Rather than attempt to re-create someone else’s dish or spend hours trying to study flavor profiles in search of perfection, I suggest starting small. Learning to season and cook at the same time is a recipe for disappointment. Executing two new concepts at the same time creates two windows for error and therefore twice the possibility of discouragement. The last thing I want to do is discourage you.

Instead, I would suggest experimenting with seasonings on those nights when you are simply too tired or too busy to cook and must turn to prepared foods. It happens to all of us. There’s no need to be ashamed. And it goes without saying that no mass-produced meal is going to match your tastes exactly. There is always room for improvement. You may think this sounds silly but realize that whenever you add Parmesan cheese or red pepper flakes to a frozen pizza or salt and pepper a TV dinner this is exactly what you are doing. Why not take it a step further?

The possibilities for this exercise are endless. You can start with a jar of plain tomato sauce and figure out what it might be lacking to suit your taste. And if that doesn’t work, at least you haven’t botched someone’s Nona’s recipe and you really only waste the price of a two-dollar jar of pasta sauce. You can spice up a store-bought rotisserie chicken and pop it in the oven for a few more minutes to let the flavor really sink in. And of course, you can add a little spice to your microwave meals that never really packs the same punch as takeout from your favorite restaurant. But for today, I will focus on what you can do to personalize a can of soup.

The amount of canned chicken and rice soup Erica eats is staggering. To an extent, I can understand why. She does not have a microwave and soup can be easily heated up on a stovetop. It supplies protein, starch, and vegetables, although I’d say not enough to be considered a complete meal. And I know for a fact that chicken soup with rice is one of her mother’s specialties.

So, where can Erica begin to make her canned soup more like what she is used to at home? First, she can start by adding ingredients she knows her mother uses. Frozen spinach is a great way to add more vegetables to any soup, and a nice flavor if spinach is your thing.  You can also add frozen peas or carrots or any sort of vegetable that strikes your fancy. I say frozen because that would require much less washing and chopping that fresh vegetables. This is not a prohibition against fresh vegetables, but I assume chopping is something you’ve elected to avoid if you are eating canned soup.

Now that the base of your soup is somewhat more reflective of hearty soups from home, we can begin with the herbs and spices. Here is where Erica should personalize it to her own taste rather than try to replicate her mother’s soup. If she does not know what she wants yet, salt and pepper are always a good place to start. Frozen vegetables will dilute your soup a bit, so salt is highly recommended. A dash of cayenne will give it a little kick. Rosemary and thyme are always welcome, especially in chicken soup. I sometimes add some basil and oregano as well.

At this point, none of your spices are anything that I would consider terribly adventurous. They are probably already in your spice cabinet from previous cooking adventures or misadventures. If you have any spices you bought for a single recipe, but are reluctant to add to your repertoire, now is a great time to try them out. You may also add some garlic or onion powder if you like the flavor but don’t want to chop any garlic or onions. I also highly recommend a dash of caraway seeds, especially if you are used to having your chicken soup with a giant, well-buttered slab of rye bread.

Of course, these are all just suggestions and I encourage you, and Erica, to experiment. Take note when you do so of approximate amounts and proportions. That way you will know what to replicate or not. If you run into a bad combination and don’t feel like finishing it, all that’s gone is one can of soup and you only need to grab another one and start again. Or you can eat what has already been prepared for you. That is much more appealing than wasting an entire stock pot full of soup or eating something that you don’t like all week just because you don’t want to go back to the store.

Good luck and happy seasoning!

-Ella

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