The Classic Campbell's Soup You Need To Leave In The Past (And Out Of Your Shopping Cart)

Campbell's soups are revered classics. They've been around so long that, indeed, they are your grandma's soups. Whenever you needed a grilled cheese companion or a saucy compliment to your pasta, these canned products were always a pantry's saunter away. But after tasting 14 store-bought tomato soups, we ranked Campbell's tomato bisque at the bottom, and our reasons why may surprise you.

We know a great can of tomato soup to be rich, red, and redolent. So it's no surprise that the overly fruity and chemical taste of Campbell's condensed tomato bisque threw our Tasting Table taste-testers off. One might say the flavor was misplaced. After all, what is a tomato bisque without a robust tomato flavor ringing throughout its fabric?

What's more? The texture of Campbell's canned bisque soup turns runny once you add water to it as instructed. One of the main differences between soup and bisque is the latter's creamy texture. Yet you might think it's the former if you were to slurp this with your eyes closed. Our taste testers may have wished they'd done just that to avoid noticing the unnatural appearance of this bisque — an artificial red that conjured up doubts that were shortly confirmed.

Read more: 20 Popular Canned Soups, Ranked Worst To Best

The Hallmarks Of A Good Can Of Tomato Soup

The best canned tomato soups are irresistibly rich. They harbor the intense flavor of ketchup watered down by a savory broth so that they're slightly sweet yet tangy. It makes it all the better if there's no aftertaste. The aromas of canned tomato soup should start and finish strong with no metallic flavor to put a dent in your taste experience.

In terms of texture, you can see from its consistency whether a soup is creamy, thin, chunky, or puree-like. In the case of canned bisque soup, look for that velvety surface. It should feel creamy in your mouth, and some even include chewy bits for a fun texture. If the texture is too thin, we've shown you how to turn canned tomato soup into an exquisite bisque with the simple addition of cream.

Also, keep an eye out for high sodium levels. Although soups are generally high in sodium, containing between 1400 and 1800 milligrams of sodium per serving on average, it's best to go for those containing between 360 to 600 milligrams per serving to stay safely within your daily allowance of sodium.

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