The 6 Best Trader Joe’s Soups You Can Buy, According to a Former Employee (Yes, Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Made the List)

Some people look forward to colder weather because they can finally bust out their sweaters, cheesehead hats, or Dutch ovens. As for me? I’m starting my annual Tour de Soup. On top of the 60+ soup recipes I’m toying around with, I’m eating (slurping?) my way through all the cans and cartons of soups for those nights I’d rather not wash my Dutch oven.

One of my usual Soup Season stops? Trader Joe’s, which stocks tons of canned and fresh soups I’ve been devoutly buying since well before the years I worked there (they’re great for a broke college kid’s stomach and wallet). Soup Season is serious business in my world, so I tried all the soups at Trader Joe’s — 13 in total! — to figure out which should earn a spot in your basket and soup-eating rotation. Here are the ones I’d absolutely buy again.

1. Chicken Noodle Soup, $2.99 for 18.4 ounces

What is a best-of soup list without a mention of the grand dame of soups, chicken noodle? It just wouldn’t be accurate. Of course, Trader Joe’s sells a more glammed-up kettle-cooked version of this classic soup, but I’d kindly suggest you ditch that one in favor of their superior canned version — it’s loaded with wide, eggy noodles, as well as chunks of carrots, chicken, and celery that make this feel like, well, the first ingredient might be … love? It really does taste frighteningly close to homemade.

2. Organic Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup, $3.49 for 32 ounces

In the World Series of Soups, Trader Joe’s Organic Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper is my own personal dark horse winner. While it’s not as flashy as, say, clam chowder or lobster bisque, it’s a delightful, hard-working soup. Not just relying on the savory-sweetness of the tomato, this soup does one better by adding a bit of earthy, jammy flavor with roasted red peppers. Add a glug of milk (or cream!), blend it all up, and this highly adaptable soup is born. Dunk your grilled cheese in a bowl of this liquid gold, and top with a drizzle of really good Greek yogurt or some homemade croutons — maybe all three?

3. New England Clam Chowder, $4.99 for 20 ounces

I love clam chowder because it makes the strongest argument for soup being a perfectly all-year-round food — and Trader Joe’s own clam chowder will fully convince you to eat soup even in the dead of summer. The clams? They are certainly getting clammy in this soup (along with their potato pals), making for a close-to-restaurant caliber amount of chunky, peppery, briny, creamy goodness. There’s plenty of depth in this shallow container, too; it’d be almost too easy to just add clams, cream, and potatoes and call it a day, but you can clearly tell the foundation of this soup has a solid amount of vegetal allium flavor throughout. Do yourself a favor and get two containers on your next shop — one for enjoying in a sourdough bread bowl, and another for tossing with pasta.

4. Tomato Feta Soup, $4.49 for 20 ounces

Already a bit fatigued by the viral combination of tomato and feta, I had very low hopes that this tomato feta soup could add much to the canon. It does taste like a standard tomato sauce, and yet it still manages to be infinitely drinkable. I do think Trader Joe’s nailed the proportions of tomato to briny feta (it’s not like eating an entire block). The tomato really is the star here, rather than just a vehicle for cheese. I especially love this soup as a base for a lot of mix-ins, like tortellini pasta, chickpeas, and my favorite frozen spinach.

5. Harvest Chili, $4.99 for 20 ounces

I’ve long been skeptical of pumpkins finding their way into all my food as soon as September 1 rolls around, but I’m glad I allowed this explosion of fall into my life. There are store-bought chilis that are loaded with beans and spices, and then there is this exceptional seasonal chili. On top of the autumnal triumvirate (of pumpkin, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes), you’ll find black beans, red quinoa, lentils, and cauliflower. This is a chili that is going for all the extra-credit, with plenty of earthy cumin and guajillo peppers to play off the sweetness of all those gourds. I ate mine immediately with a hunk of corn bread and a drizzle of sour cream, and I’d wager to guess this would make an incredible topping for a slightly elevated Frito pie.

6. Lobster Bisque, $4.99 for 16 ounces

I love the word “bisque” as much as I’d love to bask in this lobster bisque — which is, to say, a lot. True to the bisque’s French origins, Trader Joe’s seasonal, fall-only version is built upon layers and layers of fatty lobster richness, with a lobster stock cozying up to cream, thyme, butter, all cut through with a zing of sherry vinegar. But wait — there’s more (lobster)! You’re gonna want a bigger spoon, because this soup is deluxxxe (with three Xs) and such a steal at just under $5 bucks. 

Did your favorite Trader Joe’s soup make the list? Tell us about it in the comments below.

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