13 Popular Campbell's Soups, Ranked Worst To Best

Even if you're the kind of person who loves making large batches of homemade soup from scratch, you've probably stocked your pantry with Campbell's soups at some point in your life. That familiar red-and-white label is recognizable from across the aisle, after all. Back in the day, your mom may have fed you the condensed chicken noodle soup the brand is so well-known for, but these days, there are almost unlimited Campbell's soup options to choose from. No matter what kind of soup you like, the chances are that you'll be able to find a can from the brand that sounds appealing.

However, if you're not already well-acquainted with different Campbell's soups, you may not know which ones to pick out the next time you need a super-easy dinner. That's why we've done our research tasting and ranking some of the most popular Campbell's soup cans out there. But don't take our word for it — if you're so inclined, feel free to try these different soups for yourself and see if you agree with our top picks.

It's not exactly surprising that our least favorite of the bunch is one of Campbell's condensed soup options. These soups, which require you to add water to thin out the concentrated broth within, tend to be kind of lackluster, so we weren't surprised that the Old Fashioned Vegetable flavor wasn't that good. The vegetables were hacked into barely recognizable forms of themselves, leaving you without the pleasure of biting into a thick carrot or softened slice of cabbage. Yes, this is technically a vegetable soup, but it's nothing like the vegetable soup you make at home from scratch.

Our main issue with this soup, though, isn't the fact that it's just kind of blah — rather, we really dislike that this soup uses a beef broth base. First of all, there's no meat in the soup, so there's no need to add beef broth to the equation. The addition of beef broth just means that vegans and vegetarians can't eat it. Plus, when you're craving vegetable soup, you probably want something that's on the lighter, fresher side ... and that's the exact opposite of what you're getting with this condensed soup broth. Unless you want heavy, salty vegetable soup with the saddest veggies you've ever seen in your life, you can skip this soup and try one of the better options on this list.

Did we set our expectations high for Campbell's Bean with Bacon soup? No. After all, this is another one of the brand's condensed soup options, so we were trying to be realistic. That being said, we feared that this soup was going to be a lot worse than it actually turned out to be. There's not really much going on — white beans, bacon, and carrots are combined with a tomato puree to make a very one-note albeit filling soup. We don't really think there's anything special about this soup, but it's much better than the Old Fashioned Vegetable soup, so we can't complain that much.

One pro about this soup is the fact that it's super hearty for a meal that comes in a can. The beans are filling, and the addition of bacon gives the soup some depth that keeps it from being completely boring. It could probably be enhanced with the addition of some pasta or some finely chopped scallions, but it's definitely edible as is.

We love that Campbell's is trying to branch out by creating a spicy line of soups that takes the heat up a notch (most of the brand's soups are markedly not spicy). But that doesn't mean every spicy soup attempt will be a successful endeavor. When it comes to the Chunky Spicy Chicken Quesadilla soup, we're not fans. Let's start off with the obvious: It's really, really not that spicy. We get it — not everyone has a high tolerance for spice, and you're trying to sell the product to as many people as possible. But the serious lack of heat in this soup is a major bummer when you're expecting a dish to have a lot of flavors. If you want to take the heat up a notch, just be sure to have some hot sauce or some crushed red pepper on hand.

The soup contains, chicken, of course, along with green and red peppers, beans, corn, and cheese. The sauce has a tomato purée base that doesn't seem to hold much flavor. All around, this soup just comes together like a Tex-Mex mess. If you still want to try this soup, eat it with some tortilla chips, and make sure to add plenty of cheese on top. You're going to need it.

If you think clam chowder from a can sounds dubious, you're not alone — we thought the same thing. And while this can of soup wasn't absolutely abysmal, the Chunky New England Clam Chowder could be a lot better. It seems like the soup was supposed to be quite creamy, but that's not quite the texture we got in the can. Rather, it kind of separates, so you're left with a watery base. You can barely taste the clams themselves, but there's a seawater-y flavor to the soup that at least fulfills that seafood craving. Otherwise, it's kind of bland — there's a good chance you're going to need to add some salt.

The only thing that really impressed us about this soup is the fact that it's a lot heartier than we expected. It's full of potatoes, so if you finish the can, you're probably not going to go hungry. Add some oyster crackers to your bowl for an added crunch.

To be fair, it seems like Campbell's Tomato A to Z's soup was designed with kids in mind, but that doesn't mean adults can't indulge in this canned soup as well. This was our favorite condensed soup of the bunch, and it may be because it's just so simple. The tomato soup base isn't anything special, but it does have that familiar texture you may have grown up with. It's warming but relatively light, which makes it easy to get down when you're not super hungry. Maybe that's why our moms always fed us tomato soup when we were sick.

But this isn't your average tomato soup. It also contains letter-shaped pasta, which bulks up an otherwise very light soup. It's definitely not the most delicious soup we've ever tried, but its simplicity is what makes it so appealing: This is the kind of meal you'd want to eat after a long, hard day at work when you just want to feel warm and taken care of ... without having to cook.

The picture on the front of a can of Campbell's Chunky Savory Pot Roast looks undeniably appealing. The thick chunks of meat combined with what appear to be ultra-fresh veggies are bound to be delicious, right? Although this soup is solid, it didn't end up ranking as high as we thought it might. That mostly comes down to the fact that the meat is quite tough. The last thing you want when you're eating canned soup is to have to fight through tough beef, but that's exactly the case here. The meat itself tastes good, but that textural issue definitely makes this soup a little less than pleasant.

However, besides the meat, the soup is pretty good. While there isn't any pasta in the mix (our preference), there are plenty of potatoes, which means that this soup is adequately filling. Carrots and green beans round it out to give you a serving of vegetables. There are definitely better soups in Campbell's lineup, but this one will get the job done when you're hungry.

Ham and bean soup is an absolute classic, and it's one that nearly always tastes good when you're feeling quite hungry. That's because ham and beans together deliver a ton of bulk and protein, which is likely to keep you feeling full for a while. That's why we're fans of the Chunky Hearty Bean and Ham soup from Campbell's. The makers really don't skimp on the beans in this recipe, so every bite will be filling and full of flavor. There's plenty of ham in there, but not too much — because it's so heavy, it could easily get overwhelming if they added too much. It's also packed with veggies for added flavor and nutrition.

This soup also says it contains a "smoke flavor," which is pretty evident upon the first bite. We'll be honest — we think this flavoring could have been skipped completely. There's just too much smoke flavor present for soup. Otherwise, though, this exceedingly filling soup is a win.

When you're not feeling your best, sometimes you just need a bowl of soup that's on the lighter side and makes you feel healthier. We're certainly not going to make any health claims about a canned product, but the addition of brown rice in Campbell's Homestyle Savory Chicken with Brown Rice soup is definitely a plus in our books. The rice is what makes the bulk of this soup, but that's not a problem — its slightly nutty flavor goes well with all of the other ingredients. There are also veggies like celery and carrots in this soup. Then, of course, is the chicken. We wish the makers would've given us slightly more, but we can't complain too much since the overall flavor of the soup is solid.

Although this canned soup definitely doesn't taste exactly like homemade soup, it's closer to the real thing than many of the other soups on this list. That means it's earned its spot in our pantries for whenever we've had a long day and need a quick meal that's warming without being overwhelming.

Finally, we come to one of the classics. Campbell's Classic Chicken Noodle is a definite step up from the condensed soup in their lineup, and it just so happens to be one of our favorites of the bunch. The highlight of this soup is the twirled egg noodles, which keep things texturally interesting. Moist pieces of chicken add some protein and flavor to the soup, but we wish there were just a bit more of it there. Then, you get veggies like carrots and celery that round it all out.

As far as canned chicken noodle soup goes, this is one of our favorites on the market. However, that doesn't mean it's perfect. Although the broth is flavorful, it's way, way too salty, which can take away from the other elements of the recipe. You could always thin it out with a bit of water, but you run the risk of making it too bland if you take that route. If you're looking for something to cut through all that saltiness, we recommend adding some crushed red pepper to the broth. It'll give the soup some kick that will keep things interesting.

We were a bit surprised to see barley in a soup in Campbell's lineup, but we're really glad we were able to try out the Chunky Hearty Beef Barley soup. Barley is one of those ingredients that can transform a lackluster soup into something special, and that's definitely the case with this soup. The beef in this recipe is a bit tough, but it has plenty of flavors, so we can't fault it too much. The addition of carrots and celery is a nice touch that adds some color to this soup. The chopped potato adds some bulk and texture to the mix, but the star of the show is the barley. It's what gives the soup a lot of its bulk and makes it so, so filling.

Sometimes, you just want a warming, comforting soup that makes you feel cozy, and barley can make that happen. But cooking a barley soup from scratch is — let's face it — a labor- and often time-intensive project. If you just can't be bothered to chop all those veggies and make your barley soup from scratch, this might just get the job done the easy way.

One thing we've noticed with a lot of Campbell's beef-forward soups is the fact that the meat often ends up a bit tough. It's not tough enough for us to refuse to eat it, of course, but a tenderer meat situation would be preferred. Luckily, that's just what we got when we tried the Chunky Sirloin Burger with Country Vegetables. The sirloin burger is just what it sounds like — basically tiny burger patties that fit onto your spoon. They're rich, moist, and meaty, and they're surprisingly delicious considering they're technically canned meat. The best part? You get plenty of them in the can. Unlike some of the brand's chicken soups, the meat really seems to come through here.

Don't worry — it's not all meat. Veggies round out the dish, ensuring you get a balanced and flavorful meal. In addition to the potatoes, which add some bulk to the soup, you'll get to slurp down carrots, peas, and green beans. Could the brand have taken it easy on the salt in the beef broth? Yes, maybe. But overall, this soup is delicious.

A lot of Campbell's Chunky soups are just modified versions of the same thing, so they can get kind of boring when you eat them one after the other. If you're looking for something different, something more exciting, and something with a bit more greens in it, you're probably going to love the brand's Homestyle Italian Wedding Soup. It includes meatballs that are so small, you can get several in every single bite. They're ultra flavorful, and they taste like they're full of spices — we could probably eat them on their own. You don't have to, though, because this soup also contains pasta, Romano cheese, and pasta. It's all cooked in a chicken broth base, which really brings all the flavors together.

This Italian wedding soup probably isn't going to win any competitions against Italian grandmothers anytime soon, but if you're looking for a quick and easy version of this classic soup, you may just like what Campbell's Homestyle line has to offer.

We've already talked about Campbell's spicy Chunky line, but we weren't too fond of the other variety we tried. Luckily, the Chunky Spicy Chicken and Sausage Gumbo caught our attention in the best possible way. Most importantly, this soup actually did have quite a bit of spice to it. Granted, it's not the spiciest dish we've ever had, but for a canned soup, it packs a considerable amount of heat. That makes every bite taste that much more addictive — we finished the bowl pretty quickly after we took the first bite.

The spiciness is only part of the picture, though. The wide variety of ingredients sets this soup apart from the rest. First comes the Andouille sausage, which lends the soup its rich, smoky fatty flavor that we love so much. For some extra protein, there are added chunks of chicken as well. Okra doesn't seem to be a common ingredient in a lot of Campbell's soups, so we were pleasantly surprised when we found it in this one. Peppers round out the flavor combo, adding just enough veggies to complement the rice.

All of these flavors mix and meld together into something unlike anything else we've tried in the Campbell's lineup. Canned soup may not be the most luxurious of meals, but when you need to get dinner on the table fast, this chicken and sausage gumbo may just be the way to go.