Our Least Favorite Instant Soup Is From A Super Popular Brand

When life throws you lemons, keep dinner plans simple and reach for a pot of instant noodles. We all know the comfort of indulging in a steaming readymade soup, but if you're looking for recommendations, strike Nissin right off the list. After conducting a colossal investigation into the most popular instant soup brands ranked, Tasting Table's reviewer named Nissin as our least favorite. While we appreciate its reliability and low cost (a six-pack of 13.5oz beef flavor Nissin Cup Noodles is $11.90 on Amazon), the taste was basic, and the limited vegetables were strewn, sad, and deflated, through the mix. Overall, it struggled to rival any of the stronger options — including the hearty broth of Bear Creek, restaurant-quality Progresso, and flawless flavors of Mike's Mighty Good noodles.

The general consensus is similar online, with customers criticizing shrimp and beef flavors despite others saying they were on a mission to make the most of Nissin's cheap ramen noodles. The brand did release a slightly bolder bagel-flavored cup of noodles, but the verdict was still poor and recent reviews after the switch to paper cups have been equally damning, complaining of a chemical-like flavor. The overall takeaway is that Nissin noodles are fairly middle-of-the-road; customers mainly rank it just below the likes of Sapporo and Kimchi. If you do give it a go for its reasonable price tag, research the Nissin cup noodles flavors, ranked worst to best, first to have the best chance of success.

Already stocked up on a Nissin Cup of Noodles haul? All is not lost. You just need a spruced-up instant ramen and fixings recipe with some savvy tips and tricks. Keep a handy stash of easy and flavorsome add-ins like chili bean, fish, or miso paste sauces. While, for protein, raid your fridge and quickly prepare some meat (chicken or pork goes down a treat when sliced) or boiled eggs. In Nissin's case, tossing in some veggies like bok choy, mushrooms, and carrots can instantly solve that sad-looking vegetable problem.

Similarly, if your instant soup is looking a bit too watery, remove some of its liquid and mix it in the blender. Why not try this instant pot miso red lentil soup recipe? The best way to deal with a disappointing cup of soup is to have a few quick fixes on hand. And the best part is that you'd be surprised how many are already in your kitchen. It's time to get creative — an easy meal doesn't mean sacrificing taste.