Our Least Favorite Store-Bought Tomato Soup Is From A Popular Brand

How could Campbell's possibly steer us wrong when it comes to tomato soup? Andy Warhol didn't paint a can of the stuff for nothing. "Iconic" is an overused adjective these days, but when it comes to those classic red-and-white cans, no other word will do. The brand is synonymous with canned soup in general, and tomato soup in particular; if you're imagining a bowl of red broth into which you can dip a hot, melty grilled cheese sandwich (made with cheddar, of course, since it's the best cheese for a grilled cheese and tomato soup meal), chances are good that you're picturing Campbell's. And if it's not as good as what you could make at home with just a little effort and by raiding your stash of condiments, well, convenience is part of the appeal, anyway. Sometimes, you crave that store-bought taste.

With that said, in our recent ranking of thirteen store-bought tomato soups, we found Campbell's sorely lacking, with one of their products — specifically, Campbell's Creamy Tomato Soup — coming in dead last.

Campbell's Creamy Tomato Soup is undeniably convenient, even coming in its own microwaveable bowl. And as we noted, it certainly looked the part, with an "attractive, opaque, red-orange color" and a "thick, robust texture." But that was where our praise ended: For a tomato soup, it tasted more like the eleven grams of sugar included in every serving. And the creaminess is attributed more to the inclusion of vegetable oil, with "just the lightest touch of actual cream." If you're truly desperate for tomato soup, it'll do in a pinch; otherwise, avoid.

Campbell's regular, non-creamy tomato soup didn't fare much better; coming in at #11 on our ranking, it's "a bit too sweet" and "a bit watery." If you're after better store-bought options, you might like Amy's Organic Cream of Tomato Soup at #5 ("hearty, rich, and leaves you feeling comforted without weighing you down"), Maya Kamal's Tomato and Warm Spices Inspired Soup at #2 ("unexpected and deeply comforting"), or Imagine Creamy Tomato Soup at #1 ("balanced and nuanced", and "toma-too good to pass up").