The Best And Worst Canned Soups To Buy At The Grocery Store

Canned soup is a major time saver when you want a quick and comforting meal. Just open the can, heat it up, and you have yourself a homey lunch or dinner in just minutes. Plus, there are tons of foods that can be upgraded with canned soup, from potatoes to chicken, and mac and cheese. With so many canned soups on the market, how do you choose the best possible soups to stock your pantry with?

Ideally, you want a canned soup that not only tastes great but also contains wholesome ingredients. That's where some brands get it right, creating delicious soups made with high-quality veggies, herbs, grains, and meats. Unfortunately, not all brands adhere to the same high standards. Some canned soups are packed with fat, sodium, and artificial ingredients. Others contain healthy ingredients, but drop the ball when it comes to flavor. If you're wondering which soups deliver on both taste and quality, we rounded up the best soups you can buy at the grocery store. We also included a few duds that many say are better off left on the supermarket shelves. 

Campbell's is a big player in the canned soup scene. You may have fond memories of tucking into classic Campbell's soups like chicken noodle, cream of mushroom, or tomato soup. Then, there are the hearty Chunky soups and fun new creations like the limited-edition Grilled Cheese & Tomato soup. Unfortunately, some of those soups are off-the-hook when it comes to sodium. Some also contain less-than-ideal ingredients like modified cornstarch, MSG, and preservatives. Campbell's aims to remedy that with its Well Yes! soups. The line features nutritious soups made with wholesome ingredients and no preservatives or artificial additives.

There are tons of soups to choose from in Campbell's Well Yes! Line, including plant-based soups, creamy soups, and soups with chicken and veggies. The soups come in cans, microwaveable bowls, and microwaveable cups. When compared to Campbell's classic soups, the Well Yes! soups contain less sodium and amp up the vitamins and minerals. For example the Well Yes! chicken noodle soup, which contains 25% of the daily recommended intake of Vitamin A, as well as decent amounts of protein, iron, and potassium. The sodium is still slightly high at 640 milligrams, but that's better than the classic chicken noodle soup's 890 milligrams.

Amy's Kitchen began in 1987 as a family-run business selling organic, vegetarian pot pies. It didn't take long for the business to take off, and soon, the Berliner family was offering a wide range of products including burritos, pizzas, and soups. To this day, all of the products are organic, vegetarian, and contain non-GMO ingredients. The company sources locally whenever possible, but it will go out of its way to bring in ingredients from other places if they're superior in quality.

The organic soup line from Amy's Kitchen includes classic soups like cream of tomato, lentil vegetable, and split pea soup. You can also pick up globally-inspired creations like Thai coconut, Indian golden lentil, and tortilla soup. Most of the soups are packed with healthy veggies, gluten-free, and free of tree nuts. You can also find a few vegan flavors. Some of the soups veer a little high on the sodium side, like the lentil vegetable and the rustic Italian vegetable. However, the company offers reduced-sodium versions of those soups for anyone looking to curb their sodium intake.

Rao's has been satisfying the masses with exceptional food for a very long time. The Rao's restaurant was established in New York City in 1896, and it would go on to become one of the most famous Italian restaurants in the city, if not the country. The restaurant still operates in the same spot today, which is a testament to how good the food is. In 1992, the family-run business started selling its famous pasta sauces by the jar under the name Rao's Homemade. Soups followed later in 2019.

Rao's Homemade offers a diverse range of Italian-style soups, from tortellini and vegetable to chicken and gnocchi, Italian wedding soup, and potato and sausage. Each is slow-simmered with top-notch ingredients and contains no preservatives, artificial flavors, or artificial colors. In an exclusive interview with Mashed, Rao's owner Frank Pellegrino Jr. described the company's Southern Italian cooking as "​​Simple, clean, food, ingredient-driven, made by mother nature, and how dare I mess with mother nature."

If you're looking for top-quality soup, you can't go wrong with Rao's Homemade. It's a little more expensive than some other brands, but many say it's worth every penny. The company's pasta sauces are also to-die-for. In fact, the pesto sauce made our list of the best store-bought pesto sauce money can buy.

Progresso is another popular canned soup brand that you can find at most supermarket chains. The company states that it focuses on quality ingredients and doesn't use artificial colors or flavors. While that may be true, it doesn't necessarily mean all of its soups are good for you. In fact, Progresso soups are often called out for being high in sodium. Some of the unhealthiest Progresso soup flavors are from the Rich & Hearty line. Just like the name suggests, these soups contain ingredients that are meant to fill you up like pasta, potatoes, and meats. 

Many of the Rich & Hearty soups contain dairy products like cream, milk, and cheese that are high in saturated fat. Several contain salty meats like sausage or bacon. One of the worst offenders is the Rich & Hearty Broccoli Cheese with Bacon. It contains 4.5 grams of saturated fat, which is about 22% of the total recommended daily value. It also contains 800 milligrams of sodium, giving you 35% of your daily total. If you're thinking of grabbing a can of Progresso soup, you're better off steering clear of the Rich & Hearty line. The company's Light and Reduced Sodium lines offer similar flavors with far less salt and saturated fat.

If you're a fan of Trader Joe's, you're probably already aware that the stores are treasure troves of unique foods that you won't find anywhere else. That's because the company partners with big-name food producers to create top-quality products exclusively for Trader Joe's. Many of those products are the same or similar to brand-name products, but sold at much cheaper prices. Some of the must-have canned foods at Trader Joe's are its canned soups.

Trader Joe's makes two canned soups: an organic lentil vegetable soup and a chicken noodle soup. The lentil soup is vegetarian and contains nourishing ingredients like organic lentils, spinach, potatoes, and carrots. It's low in fat, but high in iron and dietary fiber. It's slightly high in sodium with 700 milligrams, but overall a pretty nutritious soup. The chicken noodle is also wholesome with white chicken meat, carrots, and natural spices. It only contains 550 milligrams of sodium, making it a better choice if you're limiting your salt intake. Both soups get great reviews from customers who love the flavors and textures. Many say the soups are just as good as competitors' versions, but even more appealing thanks to the affordable prices.

Pacific Foods was founded in Oregon in 1987 with the goal of offering nourishing foods made with natural, organic ingredients. Today, the company offers a wide range of soups, broths, and chilis, many of which are plant-based and gluten-free. You can choose from creamy soups, hearty soups, and condensed soups that can be eaten on their own or used for cooking. The creamy soups come in cartons, while the others come in cans.

If it's nutritional value you're looking for, Pacific Foods' plant-based soups are your best bet. They're typically low in saturated fat and cholesterol and contain healthy, organic veggies. For example, the organic vegetable lentil soup contains no saturated fat, no cholesterol, and 14 grams of protein per can. It also has plenty of iron and potassium. However, it should be noted that many of Pacific Foods' soups are high in sodium. Eat a whole can of the vegetable lentil soup and you'll be getting over half your daily recommended sodium.

There's no disputing that Pacific Foods uses high-quality ingredients in its soups. Customers also have great things to say about the flavors and the fact that there are gluten-free and vegan options available. If you're watching your salt intake, though, these may not be the soups for you.

Panera Bread began as a small bakery in St. Louis, and now there are nearly 2,200 locations across the United States. The chain is famous for its comforting sandwiches and soups. In fact, people love the soups so much that Panera makes a line of pre-made soups that you can pick up in the refrigerator section of grocery stores like Target and Walmart. The soups come in 16-ounce plastic containers and include flavors like chicken noodle, black bean, and broccoli cheddar.

It's all about "clean foods" at Panera Bread, meaning products made with high-quality ingredients and no artificial preservatives, sweeteners, flavors, or colors. The company even has a "No-No List" that states which additives the chain will never use in any of its foods. Peruse through the ingredient lists of the store-bought soups and you'll find mainly wholesome items like antibiotic-free chicken, natural herbs, and real vegetables.

Some of the healthiest Panera soups include the turkey sausage, kale and quinoa, the chicken tortilla, and the Italian-style wedding soup. They're low in calories and saturated fat, but high in protein. If you're concerned about saturated fat and calories, you may want to avoid creamy soups like the lobster bisque and broccoli cheddar.

Gardein aims to win over vegan eaters with its meat-free soups and chilis made with plant-based proteins and veggies. Just to emphasize the point, the brand name is a mash-up of the words garden and protein. The names of the soups are just as coy. For example, flavors include the Be'f & Vegetable, Chick'n Noodl', and Chick'n & Rice. With no meat and mostly veggies, you would think Gardein's vegan soups would be ultra-healthy, but sadly that's not quite the case.

Take a look at the nutritional values for these soups and you'll notice they're shockingly high in sodium. For example, the Chick'n Noodl' soup contains 1,070 milligrams of sodium per serving (one can). The Be'f & Vegetable is even higher at a whopping 1,130 milligrams of sodium. Many of the soups also contain added sugars and additives like methylcellulose and vital wheat gluten. The protein comes from soy protein isolate, which is a highly processed form of powdered soybeans with the fibers removed. 

With all that in mind, it's probably not surprising that more than a few reviewers say the textures and flavors of the Gardein soups aren't great. You may be better off making homemade vegan soup with canned beans or another type of protein in its natural form.

Imagine Foods founder Robert Nissenbaum was a pioneer in the all-natural, organic health food scene in the United States. In 1971, he opened an organic market in St. Louis, Missouri, long before Whole Foods Market was even a blip on the radar. He went on to create several more successful health food businesses, including Imagine Foods in 1982. The company focused on rice-based milk products and later segued into soups. Fast-forward to today and it's one of the few companies that offers creamy soups that contain no dairy.

You can't miss the Imagine soups with its brightly colored cartons boasting an array of flavors. You can opt for comforting classics like creamy potato leek, butternut squash, or creamy tomato basil. If you want to up your veggie intake, try the creamy Supergreens soup with spinach, green peas, broccoli, and coconut cream. All of the Imagine soups are USDA-certified organic and contain real ingredients like vegetables, herbs, and spices. Most are gluten-free, kosher, and vegan. They get their creaminess from ingredients like organic soy milk, rice flour, and oils like safflower oil. Most contain no saturated fat and many have about half the sodium of other creamy soups on the market.

Looking for something a little different than your run-of-the-mill tomato and cream of mushroom canned soup? Keep an eye out for Zoup! soups in your local grocery store. The company began as a restaurant chain focusing primarily on gourmet soups. The restaurants were such a hit that the owners went on to create a line of store-bought soups that fans can enjoy at home. The soups come in 16-ounce jars and include both classic and unique flavors. You can opt for flavors like butternut squash, portobello mushroom bisque, or chicken pot pie.

Read through the ingredient lists of the Zoup! soups and you'll find that most of the items are comfortingly familiar. For example, the Spicy Chicken "Chilada" soup contains antibiotic-free chicken, tomatoes, roasted corn, and black beans. You won't find any preservatives or artificial ingredients. Like many store-bought soups, the sodium content can be slightly high. However, Zoup! soups don't hit nearly as high as other offenders like Gardein.

Zoup! also offers a selection of broth concentrates that are perfect for cooking. You can opt for bone broths made with chicken or beef or a "no-chicken" vegan broth concentrate. Many reviewers say the broths live up to the claim on the label, which states they're good enough to drink.

You might recognize Annie's Homegrown soups from their bright purple and pink labels with the yellow bunny logo. The brand is a favorite with kids who love the animal-shaped noodles and tasty broths. However, even adults can get behind these high-quality soups made with organic ingredients. The company is committed to producing products that are not only healthy but also good for the environment and the people who produce the ingredients Annie's uses. To prove it, Annie's Homegrown is USDA-certified organic, Fair-Trade certified, and non-GMO verified.

Annie's Homegrown soups come in a variety of flavors including chicken noodle, vegetable, tomato, and meatballs with pasta and vegetables. You can also choose from soups with regular egg noodles, bunny-shaped pasta, star-shaped pasta, and pasta in fun farm shapes. The chicken broths are made with antibiotic-free chicken and the vegetable broths are made with real veggies. There are no artificial flavors, preservatives, synthetic colors, yeast extracts or added MSG – even the sodium levels are below average for canned soups. All in all, these are nutritious, delicious, and healthy soups.

There's no arguing that Campbell's Soup Company is one of the most beloved soup brands in the world. The company has created a vast array of soups that have been providing comfort to generations of fans for over 150 years. Some of its most popular products are the condensed creamy soups. The first to debut was the Cream of Mushroom condensed soup in 1934, and that paved the way for other flavors like cream of chicken, cream of broccoli, and cream of potato. Campbell's also offers condensed cream soups flavored with bacon, shrimp, and asparagus.

While the creamy soups may have legions of fans, you might want to think twice before eating cream of mushroom soup or any other "cream-of" soup. First of all, many of them are absolute sodium bombs. For example, Campbell's cream of mushroom soup contains 860 milligrams of sodium. The cream soups also contain additives like modified food starch, MSG, and yeast extract – plus, there's the cream to reckon with. The good news is the soups can be quite low in saturated fat. That being said, the classic creamy soups are probably best indulged in every once in a while rather than regularly.