Which Canned Soup Is The Best Canned Soup?

With fall rapidly approaching, soup season is on the way.

I probably don't eat as much soup as I should, considering it's pretty much its own food group. When I do, it's usually something Korean, like the cheonggukjang I had last night for dinner. Cheonggukjang, in case you're wondering, is a soup (perhaps more of a stew) based off of fermented soybeans, oftentimes with tofu, pork, and kimchi added. (And no, I didn't make it, the Korean grocery store's kitchen made it. You should try some.)

While I was rummaging around for home office lunch today, I ran across multiple cans of soup in our pantry, which would have made a fine meal on its own. I lean toward the basics: I really like Campbell's tomato soup (made with milk!) and cream of mushroom (also made with milk!), usually with a simple sandwich of some sort, or crackers and cheese. When I lived closer to a Trader Joe's, their Carrot Ginger soup was a regular part of my rotation.

Finding all that soup in the pantry got me thinking about the wealth of different canned and boxed soups out there. I should probably branch out. I looked at my local grocery store's website, browsing through its selection. I've forgotten about so many: beef barley, trusty old vegetable soup, minestrone, split pea and ham, clam chowder—which are most delicious, and which ones are most versatile as a cooking base? My pantry is boring as hell. Am I boring too? Quick, somebody make a Buzzfeed quiz: What your favorite canned soup says about you.

I'm of the opinion that not all soups are meant to come in a can, though I'm sure a few of you would argue with me. Canned French onion soup usually yields onions that are so soft they're practically pre-digested. And as much as I know people love chicken noodle, the noodles are always so soft that they too, are basically mush by the spoonful. I tend to skip those. So, let's have it. What is your favorite type of canned soup and why?

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