Best canned tomato soup
I like a chunky soup and have found the progresso hearty tomato and Amy's Organic low-fat cream of tomato to be very satisfying canned tomato soups... though a little harsh and acidic, like most. Which canned tomato soups have you been particularly impressed by. (straight from the can, no suggestions for additions please)




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It's actually in a box, but it's Pacific Roasted Red Pepper & TOMAto - it's delicious!
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I'll have to give that a try. I really like Pacific's Organic Creamy Tomato soup. Far and away the best "canned" (yep, box) tomato soup I've had.
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I second the Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup. I picked it up by mistake at Trader Joe's (thought I was grabbing a box of Pacific's Organic Creamy Tomato - my second favorite soup).
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I love the plain tomato from Pacific but the RRP & tomato is sooo good.
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Campbell's.
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Hmmm... interesting. I can't stand Campbell's. What's the draw?
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Basic, good solid tomato flavor.
No extra, gratuitous distractions with spices and what not.
Makes for a good base for things like homemade croutons, Pepperidge Farm goldfish, animal crackers, and even fried, wasabi-coated peas.
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I second that. It is less expensive than most too. Never buy the supermarket brand though.
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Campbells made with half and half instead of water and a pat of butter floating on top. Childhood/nursery comfort food.
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Yup- with lots and lots of pepper, and croutons- served with a grilled cheese sandwich, of course.
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I thought I was the only person who loves butter floating on my Campbell's tomato soup. Crush a handful of Ritz crackers (only Ritz will do) in it and I am 6 years old again.
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OMG, stick a fork in me, I am done with a can of Campbell's made with 3/4 C of milk, with crumbled Ritz crackers. Put a crispy outside, melted inside grilled yellow American on white from a buttered pan and Jfood looks like a dog ready to gett his belly rubbed.
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I like campbell's sometimes when I'm feeling nostalgic, but other times it's just way too sweet for me.
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It's too sweet for me, too, so when it's something I can't avoid eating (i.e. lunch at my mother's) I add some vinegar to it.
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Smart!
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I just wish they wouldn't use HFCS! That takes this comfort food off my list.
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In reply to mellycooks, me too! I have totally given up anything with the fake high-fructose corn syrup in it, so I've had to say good-bye to my beloved Campbell's tomato soup which I have loved my whole life. The HFCS is the second ingredient!!
I just bought my first Pacific Creamy Tomato and it was excellent. I'm gonna try the roasted pepper one too.
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TJ's roasted red pepper and tomato soup. Its amazing. (in a carton)
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Absolutely! And I don't even like tomato soup! It is the best to make tortilla soup. Throw in some cooked chicken, cilantro, avocado, veggies, and tortilla strips and it is a meal. Yum!
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Campbell's is okay in a pinch, however, while being highly suspicious of celebrity branding, I quite enjoy "Wolfgang Puck's" country tomato & basil as well as "his" "organic" tomato soup.
I also recently had a good experience with Muir Glen's canned tomato soup after a bitter, tart, first try some months before.
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Campbell's "Old Fashioned Tomato Rice"
My all-time favorite, I still eat. It reminds me of my mom and is my ultimate comfort food. I make it with milk, not water and I agree, it has a good solid tomato taste...
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Old Fashioned Tomato Rice is an old comfort food for me, much better than regular tomato or bisque. I make it will all milk too. Hard to find these days...
I also like the Heinz imported Cream of Tomato.
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Wished I had tried some of the suggestions on this thread years ago when it started. I can't really take the sweetness of Campbell's any more and I won't buy products with HFCS.
It turns out that I really like both of the Amy's Organic varieties. Tastes like I remember Campbell's tasting when I was kid. Less sweet tasting.
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I actually think that Wolfgang's is really good. If you live around NYC and can get freshdirect, while it's not canned but packaged, their pre-made tomato soup is better than any I've had - even better than any homemade i've had. Wonderful stuff.
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When I want a quality chunky tomato soup, I make it myself. When I want tomato from a can, it's straight to the Campbell's. Hot tomato soup served with a slightly burned grilled cheese sandwich is my absolute favorite comfort food.
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Campbell"s reconstituted with V8 juice and a spoonful of Sriracha. Oh, and a tuna fish sandwich. Yum. Time for lunch!
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I stick with Campbells, too, made with milk, pepper and a few dashes of Tabasco. Burnt grilled cheese on the side of course. And am I the ONLY one who puts mayonnaise on my grilled cheese? Friends who see me do that think I'm crazy.
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So I'm gonna have to revisit campbell's, maybe it's not as bad as i remember.
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You really should...for some reason it tastes so good...
I always had it with a tuna sandwich but a grilled cheese is second to that... My mom also made the best tuna salad... no one could compare and I still try to recreate her perfect mix.
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I think I may crush some whole canned tomatoes in some campbell's and add a little fresh basil. If it's as good as you all say then I'll certainly save some money when the temperature dips down to the tomato soup and grilled cheese zone.
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It doesn't compare to adding more tomatoes but there are small bits of tomato in there that make it seem less "canned" (kinda, sorta LOL) but that sounds like a terrific idea and I love fresh basil, plus you can expand the servings you get from the can...
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My father always added thin slices of quickly-fried onions (still slightly crisp) to his solitary lunchtime bowl of Campbell's tomato.
Like the idea of making it with V-8 -- I'll try it for lunch!
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Yep, Campbells with milk and pepper. The pepper seems to cut some of the sweetness. Nothing is better than a bowl with grilled cheese in the winter or when the weather is gloomy.
Weez: I only eat grilled cheeses with butter. No mayo. Just a little bit of butter on the "cheese side" of the bread.
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Progresso tomato basil, not chunky though.
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If you haven't had the Campbell's tomato soup in a long time, get the special request which has the same flavor but a third less salt. I loved Campbells as a kid but as an adult, it is over my salt tolerance. I don't know if this is just me or not. Darn, now I want a grilled cheese made with Velveeta and soup! talk about childhoood comfort food.
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I had a roomie who ate that stuff like his grandpa owned the company, and I ridiculed it heartlessly. I'm afraid I'm gonna end up having to seek forgiveness.
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Nope, it's not just you. Between the excess saltiness, sweetness and national-brand inflated price I can't take it either (like all C* soups). Go with the organic/natural brands or make it yourself from canned and drained whole tomatoes and half & half.
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Campbell's made with milk, and Ritz crackers on the side... and then in it.
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We used to crumble saltines in ours.
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Amy's Organic Cream of Tomato. It's the only canned tomato soup I've tried that isn't too sweet for me. It really hits the spot, with a grinding of black pepper and some parmesan or pecorino cheese. Add a side of focaccia with arugula on top and you have my favorite lunch . . . whoa I'm making myself hungry. I like most of the Amy's soups I've tried, actually (black bean, lentil).
My boyfriend served me Campbell's Tomato with Rice (his favorite) the other night, and I humored him, but . . . I don't really get much tomato taste. And it's so orange! Reminded me more of V8.
The Wolfgang Puck chunky tomato bisque is not bad, but not as good as Amy's, and expensive!
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Really? You did not get "tomato" flavor from the "Old Fashioned Tomato Rice"? It is all tomato. at least to me and some others, it may not be gourmet :-) but, definitely all tomato, it even has tomato bits in it... Was it made with water or milk? I think that may make a big difference...As you can tell from my posts above, I love it...since childhood and I still eat it now, especially during my pregnancy... I have a cupboard filled with it right now... :-)
Try again, just for the goof made with milk and a grilled cheese or tuna salad sandwich, the ultimate commfort meal...
BTW: I also like Amy's and Puck too but not the tomato.
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Open the can, put in a saucepan with just a little water to keep from burning (just a little) heat up and eat. It's the best!
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Ah! I see we're kindred spirits.
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Another Puck tomato soup fan here. I find grilled cheese sandwiches too greasy, so I'll slice some sharp cheddar, put it on top of a nice hearty bread, and dip it in the soup so the bread soaks up the soup, and the cheese gets just a little melty.
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It's a little more trouble but it doesn't take that much more time. I put some chopped onion and garlic in some olive oil in a tall pan. I sauté them. I add a can of diced tomatoes and I whirl it smooth with my hand blender. Then I add another can of diced tomatoes, some water, a splash of balsamic, some chopped parsley & basil and season it with a healthy pinch of sugar, some ground black pepper and salt to taste.
You can do the same thing with roasted fresh tomatoes in the summer but, canned or fresh, it really has a nice bright flavor. I was paying $6 qt. for very much the same thing at Whole Foods. I'm thinking this version can be made with what's in my pantry and probably most pantries for $2 and 10 minutes.
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Someone mentioned Amy's Old fashioned tomato -- as a tomato soup lover, I absolutely LOVE Amy's Organic chunky tomato bisque. It isn't classic tomato soup, but it's delicious.
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I recently tried Healthy Choice Creamy Tomato for the first time, and it's pretty good - slightly less sweet than Campbell's and Progresso, and with a deeper tomato taste.
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La Madeleine's Tomato Basil Soup (they have it in their restaurant and they jar it and sell it) http://lamadeleine.speedfc.com/detail... If you are interested. Very good--it's more creamy than acidic and it's got great flavor.
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Put me down for Campbell's, but I also like Progresso Tomato Basil.
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