What are your go-to’s for canned soup? I try new brands/flavors from time to time and they almost always disappoint. (And yeah, I do make very good homemade soup, and it is delicious and pretty easy, but I’m looking for reviews of canned soups here.)
What brands do you like?
What flavors?
What come closest to homemade taste?
What enhancements do you add (soy sauce, hot sauce, garlic powder, etc.)?
Are there any frozen soups you would recommend?
I think Campbell’s and Amy’s tomato soup are as good as homemade. I also like Chunky Sirloin Burger, even though those little burgers are prolly made of Mystery Meat. The other Chunky soups don’t measure up, but then, I haven’t tried them ALL. Don’t think Progresso lives up to the hype. Tried a Wolfgang Puck soup and was not impressed. Thanks.
:dubious: I can’t speak for Amy’s, but Campbell’s has way too much salt, and the low-salt varieties don’t have much taste at all. I eat them though, because there’s just the two of us and making my own means we have to eat it for three or four meals.
I like Campbell’s bean and bacon when I’m too lazy to make my own, and the cream soups are helpful for quick sauces and casseroles.
I like Progresso’s clam chowder and their lentil soup.
Campbell’s Chunky Fully Loaded Rigatoni & Meatballs (scroll down for picture) was the best canned soup ever. I used to order it by the case. Sadly, Campbell’s was sued by Hormel for claims made about their Fully Loaded soups, and ended up discontinuing this variety. I would be boycotting Hormel for this if I ever ate any of their products in the first place.
Now I go for Progresso Classic Italian Vegetable, but it’s not the same.
When I’m sick, I like Campbell’s Chunky Chicken Noodle or Progresso Chicken & Rice.
Campbell’s Tomato Bisque is the one soup I have to have in the pantry. That and a grilled cheese sandwich are my comfort foods. I usually add a palmful of dehydrated sliced onions to the soup as it heats and toss in a dash of Crystal and maybe some garlic powder. Nothing too extreme. This is about comfort, not waking my stomach up.
Campbell’s Chunky Grilled Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. It is to DIE for, very spicy and complex. And there’s a ‘healthy request’ version, too…Snow’s New England Clam Chowder, clammed up with a can o’ minced clams is tolerable…and Campbell’s Chicken Rice Soup is excellent with a few Chinese potstickers, a dash of soy sauce, and a sliced scallion, better than wonton soup from a restaurant.
Chunky Chicken Corn Chowder with Saltine crackers is one of my favorite meals.
Campbell’s cheese soup is good on broccoli
I like to make Top Ramen with shrimp, cabbage, lemon grass, a ton of hot sauce and then crack an egg into your bowl before spooning on the boiling broth.
I go with Progresso since their cream style soups/chowders are gluten free and Campbell’s are not. A particular favorite is the chicken corn chowder flavored with bacon.
I tend not to like Campbell’s because it’s way salty (I know, all canned soup is just about), and it has a gummy or viscous mouth feel that doesn’t seem right. They do redeem themselves somewhat with their light choice Italian Wedding Soup.
For canned soup, I love Anderson’s Split Pea and Split Pea with Bacon.
I don’t really go for canned soups much, but the one single canned soup that we always have on hand is Habitant French Canadian Pea Soup. (With ham for me, please.)
This is (surprisingly, to me) a Campbell’s product, and it’s a fairly decent approximation of the real deal. It can be had stateside through an Amazon vendor. Even my wife (who is from QC and as chauvinist about Québecois cuisine as it is possible to be while still being charming and lovable) agrees that it is the second best* thing in the world you use a can opener to get at.
I can’t stand any canned soup. Not helpful, I know, but … blech. I’ve even tried the non-canned packaged soups – the kind in the cardboard cartons – and still, blech. I use low-sodium canned broths on occasion, but keep tubs of base in my fridge for when I can’t make my own.
For those who don’t like making soup because you can’t eat it in one sitting … I live alone and I make a batch to freeze in individual servings. As convenient as canned, but lordy, so so so much better. And making soup isn’t complicated.
Here’s one I really love; better than any, any canned tomato soup that will ever be invented. You simply roast everything in the oven, then puree:
You can leave out the FF half-and-half entirely, or sub real cream or half-and-half, or just add a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream when serving.
For canned soup, I like Campbell’s Chicken with Rice, and also their Vegetable Beef. For the Vegetable Beef, I throw in a handful of lentils and let simmer until the lentils are cooked. Both of these soups are something that I consider comfort food.
I also like at least a couple of the Lipton dried soups. The noodle soup and chicken noodle soup are very, very good. The chicken noodle comes in single packet servings, and they are just the thing when I need to eat SOMETHING but I can’t eat much.
In saucepan, mix 1 can Campbell’s French Onion Soup, 1 can Campbell’s Tomato Soup, 1 can of water, the juice of 1 lemon (or a good dollop of the bottled stuff), about a tablespoon of Worchester sauce, a tablespoon of Nuok Nam Sauce (look for in Asian section of store, it’s a sauce made from fish) and Tabasco sauce to taste.
I like the Chunky New England Clam Chowder and Progresso Lentil soup. That’s about it, nothing is as good as homemade and canned soups tend to be too salty and have a tinny flavor so I haven’t been buying it much anymore.
