The best cream of mushroom soup is creamy (duh), filling, and bursting with savory mushroom flavor. If you love mushrooms, even bad cream of mushroom soup is a little bit good, but good isn’t good enough for us. In two separate taste tests, we set out to find the best tasting cream of mushroom soup at the grocery store—low fat cream of mushroom soup and lower sodium cream of mushroom soup, included.
Like many people, we here at Sporked were raised on Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup (and green bean casserole made with it). Naturally, the market for cream of mushroom soup has evolved since then. Some of the canned and pre-prepared cream of mushroom soups at the grocery store are deeply herby and aromatic, while others feature meaty and earthy mushrooms like portobello, cremini, and shiitake. But the bottom line is this: We want our cream of mushroom soup to be decadent, meatlessly meaty, and seasoned just right. Check out which canned cream of mushroom soup came correct with the umami.
- Campbell’s 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
When I was making condensed soups for this taste test, I used whole milk as the mixer rather than water because cream of mushroom soup tastes 800 times better when you use milk. But using whole milk in a low fat cream of mushroom soup seemed like a cheat, so I made this one with water. No surprise, it didn’t have the same creamy impact as the other condensed soups on this list, but it’s still really delicious for being 98% fat free. My suggestion? Make this with skim milk. That little bit of added creaminess will do you right. —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
You can’t have a list of the best canned cream of mushroom soup without talking about the original, Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup. This still holds up. It’s deliciously salty and has a distinct meaty quality (thanks, MSG!). Truly, there are only three flavors: salt, mushroom, and cream. Those three flavors work together beautifully and result in a mushroom soup that sings. If you’re a classic, old school green bean casserole person, this will always be a great soup for the job. Keep your cupboard loaded with it like ammunition; it lasts for like five years and you’ll never know when you need it. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Kroger Condensed Mushroom Soup 45% Less Sodium
This is extremely flavorful for lower sodium soup. It’s a little gray—normally, that’s a bad thing, but in this case it means mushrooms really permeate the soup. Even though it’s lower sodium, it’s still salty and creamy, which is great, but it does lack hearty chunks of mushrooms, which is a bummer. If you gravitate toward lower sodium products for health reasons, this is the best cream of mushroom soup for you. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Ralphs
- 365 by Whole Foods Organic Cream of Mushroom Soup
This is a very gelatinous soup with an earthy, almost truffle-like flavor. It’s very aromatic and probably has the best mushroom flavor of the soups on this list. There’s also a subtle garlic and onion flavor that’s quite nice. All in all, this Whole Foods cream of mushroom soup is creamy, seasoned, and delicious. It’s the best cream of mushroom soup if you want mushrooms to be the predominant flavor element in your dish. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Marketside Creamy Mushroom & Herb Soup
This Walmart cream of mushroom soup—which comes in a little microwavable tub and is sold in the deli department—is really, really savory. It’s not at all like condensed cream of mushroom soup–it’s brown. It’s made with a lot of herbs and spices and even madeira wine, which really amplifies the savory flavor of the mushrooms. It has a nice, earthy portobello flavor. It’s the best cream of mushroom soup if you’ve ever wanted to eat mushroom gravy with a spoon. —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup with Roasted Garlic
I firmly believe that there is nothing garlic doesn’t improve, and this condensed cream of mushroom soup is proof. I had to eat so, so much cream of mushroom soup during our taste test, but I could not stop returning to this bowl even though my belly was brimming with hot milk (yes, we made this with milk—it’s better that way). But even if you’re not a garlic freak like me, I think you’ll like this soup. The garlic flavor isn’t overwhelming or astringent or bitter. It just gives the soup a super savory backbone. This condensed cream of mushroom soup is a great improvement on a classic, and it will make your annual green bean casserole just a little more delicious. Promise. —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Chef’s Cupboard Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup
This Aldi condensed cream of mushroom soup is thick, gloppy, and has a lot of fat, and I mean all of that in a good way. It asks you to slowly stir milk into this already gelatinous mixture, making this soup the creamiest on the list for sure. It’s fatty and decadent. Chef’s Cupboard would also be really good to cook with—add this to casseroles to thicken them and contribute wonderful savory flavor. Personally, I would say this is the best canned mushroom soup for an elevated green bean casserole—yes, over Campbell’s. It’s just so thick, creamy, and tasty! —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Amy’s Gluten Free Mushroom Bisque Soup
Amy’s soup is very dark and absolutely stacked with mushrooms, which is a revelation considering how many mushroom soups are lacking in actual mushrooms. This looks and tastes like homemade soup, and I’m super into it. It’s made with all organic ingredients—porcini mushrooms, leeks, celery, butter, salt, and arborio rice. Also, there isn’t too much rice in the mix, which I appreciate. Amy’s cream of mushroom is creamy, buttery, herby, and packed with umami-rich mushrooms. This is the best cream of mushroom soup for mushroom lovers—and the best cream of mushroom soup we tasted, period. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
Best Low Fat
Best Classic
Best Lower Sodium
Best Mushroom Flavor
Best Prepared
Best Flavored
Best Creamy
Best of the Best
Other products we tried: Pacific Foods Organic, Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic, Signature Select, Great Value Condensed, Imagine Portobello Mushroom, Health Valley, Mom’s Place Gluten Free & Dairy Free, Great Value Healthy, Campbell’s Less Sodium, Campbell’s Healthy Request, Kroger Cream of Mushroom Soup, Campbell’s Cream of Cremini & Shiitake Mushroom, Signature Kitchens 98% Fat Free, Campbell’s Gluten Free
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