# Tastiest canned soup (and beans, chili, veg, etc.)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [November 19, 2020, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989 "2020-11-19T19:06:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989/41 "2020-11-23T06:36:09Z")
The one time I remember seeing Campbell’s Scotch Broth in a grocery store, I bought it and it was SOOOOOOO good. Unfortunately, it’s no longer manufactured in the U.S. although it may be in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989/42 "2020-11-23T07:06:11Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Far as I’m concerned the only passable canned chili is [Stagg](https://hormel.com/Brands/Stagg-Chili) … > [@CairoCarol](#): > > When I lived in Indonesia and interacted with lots of Texan expatriates, they practically worshiped Bush’s baked beans … Both Stagg canned chili and Bush’s beans are staples in my house. As far as I’m concerned, the only thing that beats Stagg is my own homemade chili. And Heinz beans were pretty much all we had until some years ago, when Bush’s were introduced. Just for fun, I tried Bush’s, and found that they were tastier than Heinz’. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989/43 "2020-11-23T07:20:18Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > they practically worshiped Bush’s baked beans - they were a hot item at the commissary. > [@Spoons](#): > > Bush’s beans are staples in my house. Yeah, actually same here. Bush’s original are a staple in my cupboard. I don’t actually eat them all that often (mostly they accompany hot dogs or bratwurst, occasionally ribs), but I usually have a can on hand for when I do. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989/44 "2020-11-23T07:21:07Z")
When it comes to instant noodles, the best I’ve tried is Myojo Ippei-Chan Yakisoba. It can be hard to find outside of Asian stores and it’s usually $2-3 per package, but it’s quite different than your standard “boil and add spice packet” ramen. The container contains packages of seasoning, soy sauce, dried vegetables, and “mustard mayonaise” - you’re meant to add the dried veggies, then add boiling water, let it stand, drain the water through a special peel-off vent on top of the package, stir in the seasoning and soy sauce, and finally squirt the mayo over the top. It’s a pretty tasty medley of flavors. For chili, the only one that’s passable is Stagg Laredo, as it has green peppers in it for flavor and uses pinto beans instead of kidney beans. Steak House No Beans was great as an entree chili, but I don’t think they make it anymore. For chili burgers or hot dogs, Nalley Big Chunk is serviceable. For soup, I’m fond of Campbell’s Chunky clam chowder, baked potato with cheddar and bacon, and jambalaya. Dinty Moore beef stew has smaller and less appetizing bits of meat in it than it used to, but if you buy the 9 oz. microwaveable ones, they still have the big chunks. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989/45 "2020-11-23T13:38:57Z")
Well, dang. Here I sit in the HEART of Texas and I’ve never seen Stagg chili in the store. 😠 Bush’s has a whole variety of canned beans. I think the Organic Baked Beans have the best flavor. Cut up a couple of Hebrew National hot dogs in there and heat. I love their commercials, too. “Roll that beautiful bean footage!” 🐕 ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989/46 "2020-11-23T13:49:51Z")
My buddy in med school survived on Stagg chili and it’s not bad. It’s just proper chili is much, much better and easy to make. All chilis made with beans are pretty healthy. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989/47 "2020-11-23T15:38:28Z")
My favorite is Campbell’s Chunky Sirloin Burger w/Country Vegetables. It comes in a microwaveable bowl so you don’t even have to dirty a pan or bowl! It’s a nice thick stew with big chunks of potatoes and carrots. I like the burgers better than pieces of “beef” because there’s no gristle or other rubbery-ness. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989/48 "2020-11-23T17:38:28Z")
Ok they may not be “soup” but I have always loved Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli since childhood as well as their Mini Ravioli. Also Campbell’s Franco-American SpaghettiOs and RavioliOs are great as well. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989/49 "2020-11-23T17:53:06Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > Ok they may not be “soup” but I have always loved Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli since childhood as well as their Mini Ravioli. Yeah, baby! My all time fave junk non-food. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989/50 "2020-11-23T18:10:15Z")
Speaking of canned food, I have always liked canned tuna since my childhood back in the 80s. At the beginning of this year I bought a can of chunk chicken breast in water in a small 5 ounce can and I was very surprised how good it tasted. It wasn’t even a “brand name” it was just Walmart’s Great Value brand and it still tasted great. I ended up stocking up on it. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989/51 "2020-11-23T19:31:14Z")
I also love canned tuna. But I buy the “light” tuna packed in olive oil. To me the “white” tuna is pretty tasteless. I love the little foil packs of tuna with just enough for one sandwich. BTW canned/packaged tuna is one of those things I keep in the fridge even though it doesn’t need refrigeration. That way, when I want to make tuna salad, the tuna is _already cold_. 💡 ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989/52 "2020-11-23T19:38:00Z")
Speaking of keeping canned foods in fridge I always store any canned fruit I buy(pineapples, peaches, fruit cocktail, etc) in the fridge because I couldn’t possibly think of eating it warm. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989/53 "2020-11-23T21:03:41Z")
I do that, too. One of the most refreshing summertime snacks is a can of ice cold sliced peaches. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ukulele_ike1/32/4613_2.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike1)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989/54 "2020-11-28T03:51:59Z")
Yes, the Shin Ramyun is pretty good. I generally drop one or two raw eggs into it as it cooks, letting them poach either to unctuous or solid state, depending on my mood, and have it as alternative breakfast. I prefer B&G canned baked beans to Bush’s. They have a similar number of varieties, but they’re baked in real pots in real ovens (big ones!) in Portland, Maine. I hear that other brands are pressure-cooked directly in the can, however THAT would work… ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989/55 "2020-11-28T04:05:34Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike1](#): > > prefer B&G canned baked beans to Bush’s. They have a similar number of varieties, but they’re baked in real pots in real ovens (big ones! Might you mean B &M baked beans? They are the beans made in Portland. Sometimes you can buy them in a stout brown glass jar molded like an old Boston bean pot. My grandmother worked in the B & M factory for many years and had scorn for any other commercial baked bean-after trying her B & M beans, I have to agree with her. Sadly, the beans were kinder than she was. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ukulele_ike1/32/4613_2.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike1)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989/56 "2020-11-28T04:26:15Z")
Yes! B&M! Whoops. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989/57 "2020-11-28T06:37:56Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Yeah…I try not to think what the meat is in Hormel Chili. Indeed most of these canned things aren’t going to give you anything remotely good when it comes to meat. BEEF AND PORK. Right there on the label. Now, what parts of the pig or steer, that is another matter. Walt Disney used to mix two: _Walt usually combined a can of Gebhardt’s (which had a lot of meat, few beans) and Dennison’s (lots of beans, not a lot of meat) when he ate at the Studio._ ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989/58 "2020-11-28T09:11:35Z")
This soup came in a plastic container, not a metal one, so I don’t know if this counts. I thought Whole Foods’ Green Gazpacho Soup was the best soup I’ve ever tasted. I haven’t seen it anywhere for several years. As far as I can tell, Whole Foods doesn’t make it anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989/59 "2020-11-28T10:22:53Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Walt Disney used to mix two: _Walt usually combined a can of Gebhardt’s (which had a lot of meat, few beans) and Dennison’s (lots of beans, not a lot of meat) when he ate at the Studio._ I don’t think they even make Gebhardt canned chili anymore. Gebhardt Chili Powder is still available, though, and I like to use it in my homeade chili when I can - usually 50/50 with a darker, coarser blend like Mex-Ene or Pendery’s Chiltomaline. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989/60 "2020-11-28T16:32:41Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike1](#): > > I prefer B&G canned baked beans to Bush’s. > [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > Might you mean B &M baked beans? I’ll have to look for those. I like to have some cans of baked beans around. My mother used to create a “creamed beans” thing-- a butter _(in those unenlightened days it was margarine)_/flour roux, then dump in a can of Pork & Beans. The roux thickened up the juice. Ate it over slices of white supermarket bread. Yum! I’ve always been partial to gravy sopped up with bread or biscuits. At one of the grade schools I attended, when the cafeteria fare was chicken a la king over biscuits, a girlfriend with similar taste used to join me in acquiring as many biscuits as we could from the “non-soppers” at our table. Good times. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tastiest-canned-soup-and-beans-chili-veg-etc/925989.md?page=4)