Soup—especially canned soup or pre-packaged soup—is a personal meal. You rarely crack open a can of soup for the family. That can of soup is just for you. And boy oh boy is there a lot of canned soup and packaged soup out there. Lucky for you, we’ve tasted a lot of it. In 2023, we tasted cream of mushroom soup, butternut squash soup, minestrone soup, tomato soup, split pea soup, potato soup, and even Panera soup. And that’s not even including all the instant ramen we tried. In 2023, we guzzled soup. We slurped soup. We downright swam in soup. And out of all that soup, two stood out as the runner-up and the winner for the prize of best soup of 2023.
This year, we updated our best instant ramen ranking to include this showstopper. We are not lying when we tell you it tastes just as good if not better than the tom yum you get at Thai restaurants. The flavors are so bold and vibrant. We’re talking lemongrass, ginger, and lime—the gang is all there. Plus, the noodles are perfectly springy and satisfying. If you love a tangy Thai soup, you need to buy this instant ramen. If you love us, you’ll buy it, too.
This isn’t a flashy soup. It doesn’t have chunky mix-ins. It isn’t made in collaboration with a star chef. It’s not flavor blasted. It’s simply split pea soup executed to perfection. It’s wildly creamy and rich and decadent—yes, pea soup can be decadent. It elevates the humble pea with just the right amount of salt and seasoning so that the flavors of the pea are enhanced, not overshadowed. You can eat this alone, without toppings, or you can go wild and sprinkle on diced ham, shredded cheddar cheese, or bacon. You could even add a dollop of sour cream for an extra rich bowl of soup. But you don’t need to—it’s perfectly capable of impressing you all on its own.
Hi! I’m the editor-in-chief of Sporked. I will never turn down a fresh-shucked oyster but I’ll also leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and I love a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients.
Why you should trust me: I have been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and am an avid at-home cook and snacker. I began my career writing about fine dining and recipes, moved into cocktails and spirits, and now I talk about groceries. If you can eat it or drink it, I’ve probably written about it.
What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s dried okra. Appleton Farms prosciutto from Aldi. Some sort of Trader Joe’s cheese (I’m into the aged gouda at the moment). Frozen waffles (usually the Eggo Cinnamon Toast Minis). Spindrift water (loving the Cosmopolitan right now).
Favorite ranking: Smoked salmon. Imagine me as Scrooge McDuck but instead of coins I’m diving into a vault of slippery smoked salmon slices. Pure joy. I also found some real steals in that taste test!
Least favorite ranking: Canned oysters. I had such high hopes for this but it quickly became a chore. The kitchen smelled like an uncleaned aquarium.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!
Justine Sterling
Jordan Myrick
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!