14 Amy's Canned Soups, Ranked Worst To Best

If you're like me, you consider soups and stews a year-round thing. While they're usually served warm (although there are plenty of cold soup dishes from around the world), there's no reason you can't have the liquidy food any time of year — or any time of day, for that matter. While making homemade soup isn't too difficult, sometimes you simply don't have the ingredients, wherewithal, time, or energy to whip up a from-scratch dish. That's where the canned version comes into play. As it turns there, there is an endless supply of brands making this kind of non-perishable good, so there's no scarcity in that area. But I wanted to hone in on our top-ranked popular canned soup brand: Amy's.

To my surprise, Amy's has an incredibly vast selection to pick from, so I went to my local store and picked out 14 that sounded interesting to me — they are a mix of organic and non-organic, but I will note which is which. I tried them over the course of several days, judging them on their flavor, if I could taste the ingredients that it says it contains, how filling and hearty they were, and the texture. Only one can be my top pick, but which one will it be? Let's find out.

The minestrone is a low-sodium and low-fat soup with a liquidy tomato base, kidney beans, carrots, potatoes, pasta, and other ingredients. Unfortunately, this canned soup doesn't taste like much. It needs salt (though given the reduced sodium, I can forgive this), but it still requires other seasonings to give it a lift and compensate for the missing salt. The tomato brings the majority of the flavor, but it tastes like somebody poured some tomato juice in water and called it a day.

The pasta offers texture, so it's not lacking there. But overall, this ranks last place simply because it tastes like a diluted soup with a muted flavor. It had me eating a couple of spoonfuls for the sake of journalism and then pushing my bowl away. Not even the inclusions can save it, as those don't impart much flavor on their own either. This Amy's canned item is not something I'd recommend unless you heavily doctor it up with added spices, some fresh herbs, or even a garnish (all of which are simple tips to season soups).

The vegetable barley soup suffers the same fate as the minestrone, but is just slightly better. It's loaded with barley, cubed carrots, and peas to provide much-needed texture. I like the barley aspect as it retains some bite without turning into a mushy baby-food-like texture. Unfortunately, the broth again almost tastes like water with a hint of tomato. This isn't all that enticing, seeing as you get the broth in every single spoonful.

Lower-fat soup doesn't have to be flavorless, given how you can incorporate delicious spices. It could use more of the nondescript "organic spices" it lists on the ingredients, as well as added garlic and black pepper. I like incorporating low-fat or low-salt foods (like the minestrone) in my diet, but they have to contain flavor. Although these two bottom-ranked soups feel like they're missing something, I like the dimension that the barley brings to this soup, which gives it a slight boost in the ranking.

Interestingly, these low-ranking soups have a tomato base. We'll see the red fruit used in upcoming soups, so it's difficult to understand why some tomato bases are a hit and some miss. Purely from what I can see in the bowl, I notice that this fagioli comes with lots of cannellini beans and pasta. Ultimately, this provides every spoonful a bit of chew, which is how I like my pasta e fagioli to be. 

It has a tomato base, but the flavors work nicely together, making this at least more flavorsome than the previous two. There are a lot of visible herbs spread throughout, which are probably the basil and parsley in the ingredients; this likely helps build up the flavor complexity beyond the watery tomato. It's a solid soup, but not particularly memorable. The next soup is considerably more flavorful than anything so far, but it doesn't fare well for a different reason.

I didn't have to taste the Thai Coconut Soup to know it wouldn't be too impressive. Just from peering into my piping hot bowl, I could tell it wouldn't be very filling. You can clearly see nothing but broth, but the image on the soup itself shows a fully loaded soup. The canned good is supposed to be based on tom kha phak, which is often made with chicken but can be made vegetarian quite easily.

While I like the creamy lushness of the coconut milk and the depth of flavor from galangal, lemongrass, and other seasonings, the soup lacks actual ingredients to make it filling. There is a lot of liquid and not much to actually eat, which means you might remain hungry. I'd wager most of the calories come from coconut milk, so your stomach may still want a bit of sustenance after finishing a bowl. I'd like to see more pieces (and larger ones, too) of tofu and other vegetables.

The organic tortilla soup is made with fire-roasted sweet potatoes and wholesome veggies like corn and bell pepper to give it a chunky mouthfeel. It has a tomato-forward acidity with ingredients like diced tomatoes and tomato puree, but we get some dimension from various spices and cilantro — it brings a lift that the previous options didn't provide. The fire-roasted sweet potatoes, which are wonderful in theory, turn to mush within the soup, so you don't really see them, nor do they offer much in terms of texture. I'd like a middle ground where they keep some structure.

The tortilla aspect comes in the form of organic corn masa. I'm not sure if they just added the masa into the mixture to give it a thicker texture and mild flavor, but there aren't physical tortilla pieces that I can see. I can understand this for the sake of texture — soggy tortilla isn't wonderful, either — but it also doesn't really deliver the tortilla soup portion of its moniker. Given that the flavor is much better than anything covered so far, this easily receives the highest position yet.

The tomato base with its acidic bite is the first thing I taste in the Organic Hearty Rustic Italian Vegetable Soup. That profile lingers after you swallow, so you may want to avoid this soup if you're sensitive to acidity (or at least have an antacid ready). There is a welcome texture from the veggies, garbanzo beans, and brown rice to give each nibble some body. 

The garbanzos are perfectly cooked; they are not too soft or squishy, nor too firm. They offer that earthy, mildly nutty profile in your average spoonful, too. I really appreciate the range of textures from bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, and more, which means you feel satiated. The soup is pretty watery, so you have to actively scoop around to get some filling. While the acidity and so-so amount of heartiness give this a lower position in the ranking, it still has more intrigue, flavor, and texture than anything thus far.

I love lentil soup. I have fond memories of buying canned lentil soup at the 99 Cents Only Store (RIP), stocking up because it was affordable and delicious. So, I was interested to see how Amy's organic lentil soup stacked up in comparison. This version has a pretty basic ingredient list and includes green lentils, carrots, onion, celery, potatoes, some olive oil, and spices. I mean, that's just about everything you need to make a good lentil soup, anyway — although you can always jazz it up with lemon juice (my favorite) and more herbs. 

The taste here is fine and pretty well-executed. I'd certainly be inclined to add lemon juice, but that's a personal preference. I like the texture that the lentils offer, making the soup more filling, but the soup itself leaned toward watery. I typically enjoy a thicker canned lentil dish. The soup's flavor isn't particularly memorable; it needs perhaps a touch of salt, more onion, or even some garlic. These tweaks might give it a higher score next time, but as it is, this receives eighth place. I do prefer the delicate, nuanced base of this over the Italian veggie's tomato one to give it a mild boost in the ranking.

Typically, split pea soup has some sort of pork element — like ham hocks — to give it dimension and a savory kick. Here, though, Amy's omits the animal products and offers up a low-fat iteration — it's much tastier than the low-fat minestrone vegetable barley, and serves as proof that low-fat doesn't mean low-flavor. The soup is split-pea forward, which is to be expected. It has an earthy, mild flavor with very minimal ingredients and an incredibly thick and hearty consistency.

While thick, everything is mostly blended, so there's not much to physically chew on. And yet, it's not at all a liquid either. I like the savory profile and overall consistency. It's good, tastes like split pea soup, and doesn't lack in dimension because of its low-fat marker. It's not a standout, and I probably wouldn't reach for it over some of the upcoming flavors, but it's leagues better than anything I've mentioned so far. If you want a low-fat Amy's soup, this should be your top option.

Alright, we're really making our way up the list in terms of enhanced flavor, texture, and overall enjoyability. The gumbo is delightfully thick with filling black-eyed peas, as well as things like kale, okra, and quinoa. This blend brings new components to the soup table and makes this a real standout from everything I've talked about so far — not to mention it provides some fun colors. This is the type of soup to have stocked in your pantry if you're looking for something that will keep you filled; it's got a little of everything. 

Those beans give the gumbo an almost creamy mouthfeel and flavor that entices me to take another bite. And here, we have meatless sausage, which imparts its hickory smoke flavor directly into the soup's base, making it scrumptious and substantial. It delivers everything I'm seeking in a canned soup and is only beaten out by more flavorful, intriguing options. But I can confidently say this is worth a place in your cabinet when you want a quick, cozy meal with the added bonus of a vegetarian sausage.

Amy's Thai Curry Sweet Potato Lentil Soup has a touch of everything to give it a savory, enticing bite. You'll find ingredients like leeks, potatoes, and lentils to provide heftiness and body. But the coconut milk, spices, and jalapeño further elevate the flavor and richness. It still has plenty of liquid, but the amount of ingredients ensures that you inevitably feel full while offering plenty of texture. I'd say this is a stellar canned soup to have on hand because it involves so many ingredients that you might not have without a trip to the grocery store. 

The soup is rich and comforting, creamy but nicely spiced. It is cozy, and each nibble is delectable and unique. The lentil offers a pop of texture, while the coconut milk brings creaminess to round out your spoonful. Once again, the sweet potato turns to mush instead of the cubed pieces in the image, but everything else here shines. I love the myriad flavors and textures that make this soup stand out from the rest that came before it.

The Organic French Country Vegetable boasts ingredients like tomatoes, white beans, mushrooms, rice, and more. The white beans add a creamy flavor with a buttery texture that makes you want to scarf down more bites. There's texture from all the veggies and beans, but it's still soft enough that you don't have to thoroughly chomp down on anything. The long-grain rice has a bit of chewiness without being too hard — a hard balance to teeter in a canned soup. 

Each spoonful is filling and warming. Although diced tomatoes are the most prominent ingredient in the soup according to the ingredients list, it doesn't taste like it; I can appreciate this, seeing as tomato has not come to the advantage of many of the lower-ranking picks. Here, the soup has a creamier flavor because of the white beans, and that makes a huge difference. Every bite gives you some sort of bean or veggie, making it feel nourishing and robust. The white beans, in particular, had me coming back for more.

The top three soups could be interchangeable based on my mood, but for the sake of this ranking, I'm still going by what had the most dynamic, delicious flavor, the best texture, and what felt the most filling. At third place is the Golden Lentil Soup Indian Dal, which should earn a well-deserved place in your pantry. Amy's take on Indian dal is a delight for the senses. It's primarily made with earthy yellow split peas, followed by red lentils. 

These bring along the complex profile that you expect in a dal. It's a great mixture of thick broth without being watery, mainly because the split peas and lentils give it some body and mouthfeel. The smell and flavor feel like they're bursting from ingredients like ginger, garlic, turmeric, and other spices. I love the well-rounded layers of flavor, while the consistency makes each bite feel substantial. It tastes wholesome and homemade-ish, unlike a lot of other canned soups out there that seem so industrial. I'd certainly reach for it before the French country veggie.

The mushroom bisque is a 'shroom lover's dream with tiny pieces of mushrooms and the powdered porcini — the latter is the key to an umami-packed steak, but it provides a similar profile here, too. It is marvelously thick with the mushroom bits that you can see, taste, and feel as you chew. It imparts such an incredible earthy flavor into every spoonful, so there's no question about what flavor it is. There's also organic cream and butter, so it has a decadence that would make it a great pick for your green bean casseroles when you want an elevated version. The creamy base is also what makes a bisque different from a standard soup.

As long as you like mushrooms, you will really enjoy this soup (I actually ate it for breakfast, believe it or not). It is hearty, filling, and satisfies your cravings. It's marvelously earthy and creamy in its flavor, but still offers a chew with the mushrooms and arborio rice. I would love to keep at least a couple cans of the stuff tucked away in my pantry for when I want a mushroom-forward soup. What I like about the bisque is that it hits various senses without one overpowering the other. This rich soup could have won it all, but there's another Amy's offering that beats it out with even more dynamic flavor.

At last, after nibbling my way through 13 other soups, I found the top option. This one could enhance any evening, transforming a night when I don't know what to eat into a fragrant and flavorsome meal. The Organic Dal Makhani Soup from Amy's brings black urad dal (or black lentils) into the mix, as well as cream and butter. One caveat is that the heated soup doesn't look nearly as creamy as the image, but it's still so incredible that I can't really count it against it.

It is indeed marvelous. The lentils offer a touch of texture and a creaminess once you chomp into them. Although diced tomatoes are pretty high on the list, the soup doesn't taste acidic. This is likely because of the cream, butter, and spices. Plus, it has a barely-there touch of heat, which I'm not sure where it comes from based on the ingredients.

I love the rainbow of flavors — wonderfully spiced, creamy and rich, with that smidge of heat at the end when you swallow. The dal retains the perfect texture and bite; they fall apart against the pressure of your tongue, aren't too mushy, and aren't too firm. Amy's Dal Makhani is hearty, sustaining, and flavorful, hitting all my marks. It's considerably more multi-dimensional than the mushroom bisque, giving it the highest position out of the soups I tried.

Amy's has a huge selection of canned soups to pick from, and I selected 14 that sounded the most interesting and flavorful, rather than picking flavors of which I know I'm not a big fan. Consequently, you might love something that I haven't mentioned or tried. I purchased everything from my local Sprouts Farmers Market and tried them over several days to avoid soup fatigue. I heated each soup in the microwave per the instructions to give them all a fair chance and a similar cooking method. While the lower-ranked store-bought soups could benefit from some improvements, I left everything as-is to fully comprehend their flavor.

When determining the ranking order, I primarily judged each on taste, heartiness, and texture. Soups had to taste good and deliver on their name (or the ingredients within) to rank higher. Soups that felt filling and substantial also ranked higher than those that seemed like they were lacking ingredients or were missing a component. If something was overly watery or liquidy, or seemed like it didn't offer much in flavor or filling, it ranked lower.