Repurpose Leftover Soup And Make A Flavor-Packed Pasta Sauce

Wondering what to do with that container of soup that's taking up space in your fridge? Try reviving leftover soup into sauce by creating a consistency that will stick to the pasta shape of your choice. Short, tube-shaped pasta like rigatoni, cavatappi, and penne benefit from hearty and creamy sauces. Meanwhile, long and thin or spiral-shaped noodles are better for light and acidic flavors.

Converting soup into pasta sauce at home is easy. Consider comparing the ingredients in your soup with the ingredients of another sauce. All you have to do is reduce the water content and add a thickening agent, so it sticks to the noodles. For the purpose of this article, let's split soups into two categories: thick and thin. Thick soups might need to be reduced to coat the pasta smoothly, while thin soups will need to be given more body to become a sauce. Acidic and alcoholic ingredients (lemon juice or wine) will help break down heavy consistencies, while dairy ingredients (like cheese and cream) boost the richness.

Thick leftover soups already have a full consistency that requires little effort to change into pasta sauce. For instance, you can turn canned cream of mushroom soup into an effortless sauce by adding cheese, liquid, and an aromatic, i.e. parmesan, white wine, and onion. Tomato soups like gazpacho, when combined with red wine and meat, can turn into a hearty Bolognese-style sauce. Swap tomato paste for this soup and add vodka, heavy cream, and aromatics for a delicious spin on risotto alla vodka.

Thin leftover soups with chicken and beef broth bases will take more effort to thicken, but ingredients like heavy cream, cheese, and pureed vegetables can do the trick. Beefy pho broth combined with Thai curry and full-fat coconut milk makes a rice and meat sauce full of Southeast Asian flavors. Chicken soup combined with heavy cream, parmesan, and Cajun seasoning puts a spicy Southern twist on Alfredo sauce. Thin soups can also be used to brine and marinate meats before pairing them with your homemade pasta and sauce dish.