We Tasted 10 Chicken Noodle Soups & This Is the Best
We're just going to go ahead and say it—there really never is a wrong time for a bowl of chicken noodle soup. No matter the temperature outside, sometimes, your soul just needs a soothing, warming bowl of chicken noodle soup.
But not all chicken noodle soups are created equal—and that's where we come in.
We shopped for 10 different chicken noodle soups to help you figure out which option is the best. That way, you know exactly what to look for the next time you want a tasty bowl of hot soup. Read on to find out how we graded them and as always, be sure to leave these 100 Unhealthiest Foods on the Planet out of your shopping cart.
How we graded them
To determine which chicken noodle soup gave us the warmest feelings, we heated each one in the microwave and tasted them individually.
No crackers or accompanying sides were present in this tasting. We judged the soups as they came in the packaging, without doctoring them up with any spices or add-ins. We based our rating on three things: noodles, saltiness, and overall flavor.
Now, ranked from worst to best, see how 10 popular soups stacked up—and which one we named as the absolute best. (Hint: We were shocked by the top choice!)
Healthy Valley Chicken Noodle Soup
Healthy Valley's name should've been the dead giveaway. "Healthy" isn't exactly what people want when they're looking for a flavorful chicken noodle soup—you want a soup that tastes hearty and salty. We were far from fans of this canned soup, which led to it placing dead last on our list.
Eat This, Not That! Verdict
Our taste-test team was not into this chicken noodle soup at all. According to one taste-tester, it was "absolutely disgusting" and "tasted like warm dishwater." Two separate people stated that this soup had an "odd" and "absolutely terrible" aftertaste. And when you're eating chicken noodle soup, you don't want a lingering taste in your mouth . . . other than one of juicy, delicious chicken.
Full Circle Market Organic Chicken Noodle Soup
Initially, we were excited about this soup because its noodle shape was so unique in comparison to the others, and the vibrant colors of the carrots were appealing. Unfortunately, the taste of this soup landed it near the bottom of our list. We might've loved the noodles, but that was it. Sometimes, things look better than they taste—and that was definitely the case here.
Eat This, Not That! Verdict
"The noodles? Fantastic. But the broth tasted like the cardboard box it came out of," one editor said. Another thought it "tasted more like carrot noodle soup than chicken noodle. Very blah."
One editor "liked the noodles, but sadly, the taste and flavor were severely lacking." "Where was the chicken?" another taste-tester asked. Apparently, they got spoonfuls of only carrots and noodles.
"The noodles were fun, but that's the only redeeming quality. The taste was nonexistent," another individual said.
Lipton Chicken Noodle Soup
This was the only chicken noodle soup of its kind in our test. With this soup, you take the dry package out of the box and add water to the ingredients in a bowl. The soup came out of the microwave fine, but after sitting for a minute, it turned super thick. It would likely have been better if we made it on the stovetop, but the consistency wasn't the only problem our tasters had with this soup. The overpowering salty flavor was what landed this mix in our bottom three.
Eat This, Not That! Verdict
One of our editors remembered this mix from her childhood and was excited to try it again—but they quickly realized this didn't taste like the version their mom used to make.
"The sodium in this was next-level. Way too much," they said. "However, this was a childhood favorite, so I appreciate the nostalgia that comes with the flavor."
Another taste-taster complained about the "overpowering saltiness" of this Lipton soup. And another questioned the obvious yellow color of the broth, adding that the chicken pieces were "tough and hard to chew." This was better than the last two soups but not good enough to get higher all-around ratings.
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Pacific Chicken Noodle Soup with Chicken Bone Broth
This boxed soup wasn't so bad, but it wasn't good enough to make the top half of the list. The variety of vegetables in the mix looked great, but the overall taste kept this soup from being one of the most enjoyed of the batch.
Eat This, Not That! Verdict
One taste-tester said, "This was reminiscent of chicken noodle soup but without any actual flavor." Another said something similar: "I liked the pasta, but the broth was pretty bland."
According to our team, the look of this soup was "very natural." But one taster thought the soup from this box had a "metal aftertaste." They wrote the soup left a bad taste in their mouth after trying the sample—and they weren't alone.
"Whatever the box was made of was coming off into the soup," they said. "I didn't like this at all."
Still, this soup did get some positive reviews from some of our tasters. One person noted they "loved the shape of the noodles, and the carrots provided a nice hearty flavor." Another enjoyed the soup, writing they liked "the bone broth in here, and it tasted low in sodium. The texture of this noodle was also lovely."
Campbell's Well Yes! Chicken Noodle Soup
No, this isn't just a rebranded look of your go-to can of Campbell's. This is the Well Yes! version of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup, which is made with lean chicken meat, quinoa-based egg noodles, carrots, and beans. It landed just shy of a top-five spot on our list.
Eat This, Not That! Verdict
We docked points on this one for color. It was an "orange color. It was very odd, and the chicken chunks looked rather scary, but the taste was pleasant and I loved the beans and celery mixed in," one taste-taster noted.
"The broth and noodles were not bad, but it was a bit bland," one person wrote. Another editor liked the packaging, and said it was "a lot better than regular Campbell's but still bland."
Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup
When you think of chicken noodle soup, we're sure you think of this red and white can first. However, in our taste test, the iconic Campbell's can placed fifth. It might seem tough to beat, but we found four surprising picks that really stood above this classic.
Eat This, Not That! Verdict
This one will always be a classic. One editor said, though, that it was "a little too salty now that we tasted it next to the others." And another said "the salt was unbearable in this soup. Also, the lack of veggies was disappointing."
A third person also said this soup was "so salty. Did not like the chicken in this one." However, it received high ratings for nostalgia. It reminded some of their childhood, but others thought that the "only good part of this soup was the can."
Still, the original Campbell's soup had that classic taste, which led one editor to reminisce about their "childhood memories drinking this after a snow day." They added that Campbell's was a "go-to" when they were sick, saying you "can't beat it" for the nostalgia factor alone.
Trader Joe's Chicken Soup
This refrigerated soup didn't have noodles, but the fact that it was missing a key ingredient and still landed in our fourth spot shows how much our tasters loved its heartier flavor.
Eat This, Not That! Verdict
Our editors started their reviews by raving about the overall texture. "The chicken was perfect. Loved the broth even though it looked a bit oily from the fat," one person commented. "The flavor jumped out . . . It tasted the most natural and homemade," another editor said. And a third person said the soup was like "eating freshly shredded chicken. The broth was flavorful with fat, and the veggies also tasted fresh."
Annie's Organic Chicken Noodle Soup
This organic brand was a dark horse in the race. Normally known for its snacks and mac and cheese, Annie's surprised our team with a really great and uniquely-flavored chicken noodle soup, landing it a spot in our top three.
Eat This, Not That! Verdict
Editors raved about the "good, hefty chunks of chicken and fresh taste." One taste-tester said they "loved the savory taste in this soup—the blend of spices was very pleasant," and added they "would eat a whole bowl of this and feel comfortably full." One editor thought this soup had the noodles with "the absolute best shape."
Our only complaint? One person thought this soup "needed salt, but overall had a good healthy and clean aftertaste." This healthy-tasting soup pleased many of our team members.
Progresso Reduced Sodium Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup
This lower-sodium version of Progresso's roasted chicken noodle soup received great scores all around. This soup is truly the best of both worlds: It was both delicious and healthier than most chicken noodle soup options.
Eat This, Not That! Verdict
The hearty add-ins in this soup helped it climb to the second spot in our taste test. Our taste-testers thought this one was "very good and tasted like a healthy version of normal soup we had from our childhood." Another editor was a "big fan of this one and liked the chunky carrots and the noodle shape. Also, it had herbs in it, which we liked." One last editor loved this, saying "Amazing! Great flavor and big carrots. So fresh-tasting!"
Wolfgang Puck Organic Free Range Chicken Noodle Soup
With an almost unanimous selection as No. 1, Wolfgang Puck's chicken noodle soup took the top spot in our taste test. We loved this soup and simply could not stop talking about it. We'll definitely be heading back to our local grocery store to find this soup when we're starting to feel under the weather or when we're are just in the mood for some yummy soup.
Eat This, Not That! Verdict
One editor couldn't contain their excitement, saying, "Finally! A good one! Carrots were flavorful, and it did not taste like it came from a can." Another thought "the shape of the carrots were lovely, it looked like they were actually chopped instead of fake-like cubes in other soups. This one had a really nice flavor overall."
Other editors thought this one was "delicious" and had "great big pieces of chicken and a great broth." One editor said, "I would eat this all the time."
"Wolfgang Puck doesn't disappoint. I would get this at a nice restaurant as an appetizer," said one taste-taster. "The carrots were nice and soft." And one last editor stated, "Now this was a real chicken noodle soup. The chicken flavor wasn't overpowering but perfectly present. Great ratio of noodles and chicken to broth."
If you're looking for a great chicken noodle soup that's full of flavor, we recommend this Wolfgang Puck version for a soup that tastes homemade. For more canned must-haves, don't miss these canned foods you should always keep in your pantry.
Read more:
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