Justine Sterling
I tasted eight Campbell’s cream of soups and lived to tell the tale—while the number one best Campbell’s soup may not come as a surprise, number two definitely will.
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Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup was one of the first meals I ever prepared for myself as a child. I slorped the can of thick, white goop into a pot, filled the can with water, poured it into the pot, and stirred and stirred while it heated up. I remember it tasting incredible: rich and creamy and filled with salty, umami mushroom flavor and the occasional squidge of a mushroom chunk. Yum. That’s all to say that I have an appreciation for Campbell’s cream of soups as soups—not just casserole ingredients.
But it had been a while since I’d supped on a simple can of Campbell’s cream of anything. Now, though, I’m good for a while. Because I tasted eight different Campbell’s soup flavors in their cream of line in search of the best Campbell’s cream of soups—whether you’re eating them on their own or dumping them into a casserole.
What we look for in the best Campabell’s cream of soups:
- Creaminess. These are cream of soups. They should be creamy. And that also means they should be easy to mix with the water. No gloopy chunks! We want creamy uniformity.
- Flavors beyond salty. Campbell’s cream of soups come in straight forward flavors, so we weren’t looking for complexity. All we wanted was a distinct flavor that wasn’t just salt.
- Utility. Cream of soups should be good to eat on their own but also they should be a pantry staple to be used in casseroles or as a base for a more elaborate soup.
Here’s all the Campbell’s cream of soups that we could find ranked from worst to best.
Campbell’s Cream of Soups, Ranked
- Campbell’s Cream of Buffalo Chicken
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This new Campbell’s cream of soup flavor is so, so, so spicy. I could barely finish two bites. (I did it, though, for you people.) It honestly tastes like you’re just drinking straight Buffalo sauce—just hot and a bit creamier. You couldn’t possibly eat this as straight soup, and there’s not enough other flavors to make it useful for a casserole. Just use cream of chicken and add Buffalo sauce.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Campbell’s Cream of Broccoli
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I was really excited about this soup—well, as excited as one can get about a condensed cream of soup. I thought it would be creamy and vegetal and maybe even the best Campbell’s soup I would try. Alas, it’s watery with little chunks of broccoli that taste like tangy, generic canned vegetables. And the broth is simply salty. Big miss.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Campbell’s Cream of Gluten Free Mushroom
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It was essentially impossible to get this gluten free cream of mushroom soup to blend with the water. After a long time stirring, I was still left with some globs of condensed soup. The flavor is flat—it’s like the LaCroix of cream of mushroom soup. You get a hint of salty mushroom flavor but then it’s gone. If you’re hard up for a gluten free cream of soup and you’re making a casserole, sure, go ahead and buy this. It won’t make it bad. But if you’re looking for good soup this ain’t it.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom and Roasted Garlic
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This cream of mushroom soup is so garlicky it might as well be cream of garlic soup. It’s so incredibly garlic heavy. It’s overwhelming to eat it on its own. But it could be great in a casserole—just make sure you don’t add any more garlic to the recipe unless you’re really trying to ward away a nest of vampires.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Campbell’s Cream of Chicken
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This is one unappetizing looking soup. It comes out of the can looking like straight fat and that color remains as it melts into a liquid. But if you close your eyes and take a taste, it’s actually pretty good. It’s not just salty—it’s rich and chickeny. I can’t imagine anyone eating this on its own, but it’s a great base for a chicken pot pie or any chicken casserole. (Although, we have found a better cream of chicken soup.)
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Campbell’s Cream of Chicken with Herbs
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This cream of chicken soup gets pretty close to being actual soup. The herbs—whatever they are…thyme? marjoram?—taste fresh and give the soup that little something that takes it from being an ingredient to being soup. I might even eat this cream of soup on its own—with some extra stuff added, of course. Maybe a swirl of vinegar and some roasted cauliflower? Looks like I’ve got plans for Friday night.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Campbell’s Cream of Onion
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Campbell’s Cream of Onion is my new casserole soup. It’s rich and creamy and salty (very salty), with a sauteed onion sweetness. It would add lots of depth and complexity and umami to any manner of casserole or pot pie. But it is NOT for eating on its own. The saltiness will strangle you.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom
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It’s a classic for a reason. It’s not fancy—you won’t get notes of wild mushrooms or a hint of sherry or anything. You will get that familiar salty, savory, umami flavor, though. And the little bits of mushroom give it a little something extra. Out of all the Campbell’s cream of soups, this is probably the only one I’ll ever eat as is. I might dollop in some Greek yogurt or add sauteed mushrooms or some wild rice, but I’ll still eat it like soup. Because it’s not overwhelmingly salty. It’s cozy and comforting (if somewhat bland) and that’s what I’m looking for in a cream of soup.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
Cream of Buffalo Chicken
Cream of Broccoli
Cream of Gluten Free Mushroom
Cream of Mushroom and Roasted Garlic
Cream of Chicken
Cream of Chicken with Herbs
Cream of Onion
Tyler Bowers
Danny Palumbo
Gwynedd Stuart
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!