I Asked 3 Food Pros To Name the Best Store-Bought Tomato Soup—They All Said the Same Brand

One of the things I most look forward to come wintertime is the beginning of soup season. Soup is not only comforting and nourishing, but there’s an endless amount of recipes to choose from. In fact, I often will turn to the dish when I need to clean out my fridge, freezer, and pantry because a rich, hearty broth is the perfect medium for almost any combination of veggies, proteins, and grains.

Tomato soup definitely tops my list of favorite soups. It elicits fond childhood memories of warming up after playing in the snow—and just so happens to be excellent for dipping crusty bread or a gooey grilled cheese into.

While I do have a tomato soup recipe that I love, I’ve found that there are so many delicious store-bought options for when I’m short on time. However, I was curious what brand food professionals turn to when making homemade tomato soup from scratch isn’t an option … and they interestingly all said the same brand!

The Food Pros I Asked

• Kat Marris: Senior recipe developer at Green Chef

• April Benshosan, MS: Freelance food and health editor and writer

• Ashia Aubourg: Freelance food editor and writer

The Best Jarred Tomato Soup, According to Food Pros

All of these hardworking food professionals agree that Rao's Homemade Creamy Tomato Soup is the ultimate store-bought option. “When I'm looking for a quick and easy lunch, I always grab a jar of Rao's Creamy Tomato Soup,” says Aubourg.

Marris agrees, “This is by far the creamiest store-bought tomato soup I have tried. It's super satisfying and is my favorite soup to eat on its own as a main dish.”

While Rao’s is most well-known for its world-renowned Italian restaurants and widely available (and popular) jarred tomato sauce, it has fully entered the food retail space, offering highly quality soups, sauces, pastas, vinegars, oils, condiments, and frozen goods. And as it turns out, the quality of their packaged goods is nearly at the level of their in-person dining experience—as evidenced by their impressive creamy tomato soup.

“This soup tastes homemade (plus it doesn't have any unnatural preservatives), and I love that it's high in fiber and low in added sugar,” says Benshosan. Plus, you don’t even need to turn on the stove to enjoy it. “Just pour it into a bowl and microwave for a couple of minutes, and you have the perfect grilled cheese companion,” Benshosan adds.

Aubourg also loves to enjoy this rich soup with grilled cheese. “The soup has a tangy yet sweet flavor and a smooth, creamy texture that's really satisfying,” she says.

Aside from enjoying this quality soup just as it is, there are plenty of ways you can dress it up or use it in other recipes in the kitchen. Add your favorite roasted veggies, proteins, cooked pasta, and/or a sprinkle of Parmesan to this soup for a more hearty meal. It can also be used in a pinch when you don’t have canned tomatoes for pasta dishes, stuffed peppers, other soup recipes, and even enchiladas.

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