The Best Store-Bought Chicken Noodle Soup Isn't Progresso Or Rao's

Campbell's has been honing its soup game for more than 150 years, and (perhaps unsurprisingly) the result is uncanny likeness to real homemade chicken noodle soup. In Tasting Table's ranking of 15 store-bought chicken noodle soups, we ranked Campbell's Chunky Classic Chicken Noodle Soup as the best. Canned soup giants Progresso and Rao's pulled second and third place (respectively). But, in our book, first place belongs to Campbell's "Mmm Mmm Good" offering alone.

Truth in advertising may be iffy in the modern consumer market — but, happily, when Campbell's says "chunky," it means it. The chicken and veggie pieces in this canned marvel are toothy and generous, yielding a hearty soup that doesn't leave us hungry. The official Campbell's website describes its Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup as "big pieces of white chicken meat with no antibiotics plus carrots, celery, and enriched egg noodles for a comforting taste that's just like mom used to make." We concur. Also, at 19 grams of protein, it's a cost-effective way to fill the belly. At a Target in Chicago, an 18.6-ounce can runs for $2.59.

Flavorful, dimensional ingredients perform in harmony, including herbaceous broth, moist chicken that doesn't taste ultra-processed (a common sin of many of the other competitor products we taste-tested), and enough of all of the elements to function as a filling, warming meal that skips the saltiness-bomb. Texturally, Campbell's Chunky Chicken Noodle is rich and comforting, unlike many other chicken noodle soup brands in our ranking, which arrived thin and lacking.

We've already sung the praises of Campbell's Chunky canned soup line in the past, and when it comes to the chicken noodle arena, Campbell's Chunky sweeps the competition again. Further supporting Chunky supremacy is the fact that Campbell's standard gold-and-white-label canned soup line has apparently changed its chicken noodle recipe in recent years. The new stuff, says fans, doesn't taste like it used to. Luckily, Campbell's Chunky Classic Chicken Noodle Soup ticks off every box.

Elsewhere online, convenience-oriented foodies with discerning palates are also applauding Campbell's Chunky chicken noodle. Amazon reviews appreciate the heartiness and the meat-to-veggie ratio, writing, "Best chicken soup other than homemade [...] It had more chicken pieces in it than some other soups and tasted like real chicken." Target reviews give the soup an impressive 4.6 out of 5 stars based on nearly 600 ratings, and Walmart customer reviews agree, raving, "FAR SUPERIOR TO THE PROGRESSO BRAND [...] The broth in the Campbell's Chunky brand is thicker and more flavorful, it's loaded with a lot more noodles, and the chunks of white meat chicken are larger and tastier. And, cost-wise, it's on a par with Progresso." Want to zhuzh it up even further? We have 12 tips for adding flavor to chicken noodle soup. Pair this competition-crushing canned soup with a warm slice of homemade cornbread to complete and elevate the meal.