15 Chicken Noodle Soup Brands, Ranked

There's nothing more comforting than a bowl of chicken noodle soup on a rainy day, a sick day, or, actually, any day. It's one of the simplest dishes, and that's part of its charm. And luckily, there are plenty of variations to choose from at the grocery store. Some remain simple, many claim to taste homemade (we'll see about that), and others offer an "elevated" chicken noodle experience. That said, it's a hard recipe to mess up, which begs the question: Is it possible for a chicken noodle soup to be ... not good? As it turns out, in some cases, yes.

Sure, you could elevate a lackluster chicken noodle soup using white wine or by adding in some miso, but there will be none of that here. This ranking was conducted by tasting each soup exactly as it is and right out of the package, with each being judged by overall taste, consistency, and value. So, come on this journey with me as we rank 15 chicken noodle soup brands against each other, and may the tastiest soup win.

Imitation chicken and other plant-based meats can be polarizing, but I've always been a fan. However, in the case of Gardein Plant-Based Chick'n Noodl' Soup, it's a total bust. You can tell something is off even as the soup heats up — the smell is unidentifiable and not in a good way. It smells fake and also like it's desperately trying to hide it. There are lots of veggies, which is great. The "chick'n" was sparse, which turned out to be a good thing, but not good enough to save the soup.

The two huge pieces of chicken are shaped like bubbly tater tots and are so incredibly rubbery that they nearly squeak against my teeth as I try (emphasis on "try") to chew them. I attempted to break one of them up with a spoon but couldn't. The fake chicken was too firm and sort of bouncy. And, unfortunately, even when you're not eating the imitation chicken, the rest of the soup still tastes like it; you can taste its rubbery presence no matter what. This has been an unpleasant experience, and that's coming from a Gardein fan.

Zoup! Chicken Noodle Soup seems fancier because it comes in a jar (exciting!), and I thought it did taste sort of fancy upon taking my first bite. At first, it's a different and almost welcome taste, but this doesn't last long. As you continue to eat it, the heaviness of the soup becomes overwhelming — it kind of just tastes like you're drinking fat.

This taste is most likely due to the fact that the soup appears to contain dark meat, which can be totally fine, but since it's also made with bone broth, it's just too much. Zoup! Chicken Noodle Soup is simply too heavy and overwhelming. Seriously, you can almost see the fat bobbing around in the broth. Perhaps I'm simply not a bone broth kind of gal, and maybe you are, but for me, this soup is not sustainable for more than several bites.

Ah, condensed chicken noodle soup, I remember you from when I was a kid. Great Value Chicken Noodle Soup is simple and exactly as I remember: It's fine. Technically, there's nothing wrong with this soup, and, technically once again, it is chicken noodle soup despite the lack of chicken (there were maybe three tiny bits floating around) and literally no vegetables. You're getting exactly what you paid for (under a dollar), and that is a pile of noodles in some broth. This is not a criticism but simply a fact.

Sometimes all you need is a pile of noodles in some broth, though. It's a flavorful broth, and as for the pile of noodles? Wonderful. Is this a balanced meal? No. Will it hit the spot when you're sick and craving chicken noodle soup? Most likely! And, most importantly, it tastes better than the previous entries on this list. There's barely any chicken, but it doesn't taste like rubber. This simple soup could use a glow-up, sure, and could benefit from adding an ingredient, such as Emeril Lagasse's mushroom chicken noodle soup hack. Regardless, it's still got that classic, comforting taste, even if there's not much to it.

Bear Creek Chicken Noodle Soup is a wild card, as it's the only soup on the list that starts off as a dry mix. After adding the instructed eight cups of water and boiling for around 10 minutes, the results are mixed. On the one hand, the amount of soup you get is huge, as it technically serves eight people. This is a great value for under $4. However, the soup itself pretty much just tastes like instant Nissin Cup Noodles or Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup, with the main difference being the shape of the noodle itself. If these noodles weren't shaped like rectangles, I might mistake them for an instant ramen brand.

Even the vegetables are exactly what you get in an instant cup of ramen — freeze-dried peas and carrots that don't quite get tender, giving them that dry edge no matter how you cook them. And while none of these qualities makes for a bad soup, it's not exactly what I would seek out. It honestly tastes like something you'd eat at a summer camp in the woods. It doesn't taste homemade as advertised on the package, but it also doesn't taste fatty or rubbery. And, freeze-dried or not, I appreciate the vegetables, which is why it takes this spot on the list.

Proper Good Chicken Noodle Soup comes in a microwaveable pouch and defines itself as "elevated" chicken noodle soup. It's pretty small, and there's not that much soup, which is a little annoying given the higher price (these aspects would be its first offenses), but, hey, all you have to do is toss this baby in the microwave as is. This seems convenient, yes?

Nope. The packaging is this soup's ultimate downfall. You simply cannot open it without hot soup spilling everywhere, even when following the instructions. Sure, tearing a piece of the top before putting it in the microwave is no big deal, but once it's heated up, it's hard to tear off the rest of it. Plus, it now has hot soup in it, which burns the hands as you struggle to open it. This soup was already maddening, and I hadn't even tasted it.

Well, despite being overpriced, small, and annoying, it still tastes good. It's well-seasoned, contains tender ingredients, and is overall very pleasant. It's certainly not worth the hassle, though. Also, I'm not so sure chicken noodle soup needs elevating.

Amy's No Chicken Noodle Soup is another vegan "chicken" noodle soup option, only, unlike Gardein, it uses tofu as a chicken replacement. And, as it turns out, this makes all the difference. Sure, the "chicken" does still taste a tad rubbery, but the pieces are way smaller and easier to eat, and they're pretty tasty, despite the fact that you can tell it's not real chicken.

The noodles are thin and look like strings, which really works for this soup. It has the comfort level of a condensed chicken noodle soup with better flavor and tons of vegetables, giving it a thicker consistency and turning it into an extremely pleasant stew-like situation. This is a great chicken noodle soup option for people who don't eat meat and feels like a whole meal with all of the ingredients packed in. It lands at No. 10 on the list because although it's the best of the non-meat options, it still probably won't satisfy you if you're looking for a classic bowl of chicken noodle soup. However, for imitation meat fans like me, it's a thumbs up.

The two chicken noodle soups that are packaged in glass jars on this list appear to have something in common. Like Zoup!, Rao's Made for Home Chicken Noodle Soup also tastes fattier than the other brands, similar to Zoup (though not as much, thank goodness). Unlike Zoup!, however, it's tip-toeing the line of heaviness but never fully crosses it to the point where it's too overwhelming to eat.

It's also very good and has a stew-like, thick consistency. It definitely tastes like a chicken noodle soup from a restaurant. There's a singular taste to it, which might be the addition of just a tad bit of dairy. Overall, it's a quality soup, with a better overall taste than its predecessors on this list. It stays at No. 9, however, because even though it's not overwhelmingly heavy, it's still too much for me.

For a chicken noodle soup option with "healthy" right there in the name, look no further than Healthy Choice Chicken Noodle Soup, coming in at No. 8. This is a classic light soup option, and although it's a little bland, it makes up for that by containing lots of noodles and a lot of vegetables. There isn't too much chicken or seasoning, either, but what ingredients are included are pleasantly tender.

The best way I could describe this soup is "neutral" — nothing wrong with this option. It's just a straightforward and healthy chicken noodle soup. It surpassed my expectations (as I wasn't expecting much) by being perfectly fine. It surpasses the other soups on this list for the same reason, which is why it's smack in the middle of the list. You don't get more neutral than this soup. Would I get it again? Sure, why not? Unless one of the higher-ranked soups is available, that is.

Pacific Foods has some great organic soup options, and I was excited to give this one a try. And I must say, right off the bat, Pacific Foods Organic Chicken Noodle Soup appears to be a very put-together and polished soup. Truly, the chicken pieces are perfectly cubed. It's almost disconcerting, like walking into a room that's a little too clean. That said, the noodles are stubby spirals, which is appreciated, as they don't easily fall off the spoon.

As for the taste, it's good, although it's not as flavorful as some other brands and a little watery. It's quite similar to Healthy Choice's chicken noodle soup, as they're both light options with fewer calories, but this one has more chicken in it, giving it a slight advantage. Overall, it's perfectly acceptable and therefore lands right in the middle of this list. That said, it would be a perfect contender for one of the many chicken noodle soup ingredient hacks. Adding roux, for example, would transform this particular canned chicken noodle soup into a hearty stew by thickening the broth.

I'm going to be honest with you: Progresso Light Chicken Noodle Soup isn't technically that much different from Pacific Foods, as they are extremely similar in taste, consistency, and pleasant lightness. If brands of chicken noodle soup could be friends with each other, these two would definitely be inseparable (and indistinguishable, kind of). However, Progresso is a little cheaper, and, let's face it, groceries are expensive, so it gets the higher ranking.

As mentioned, this soup is light as heck. It's a great soup for when you plan on eating a lot of it. The noodles aren't as tender and form tight spirals but are offset by the softness (and hugeness) of the carrot pieces. Seriously, these are some big carrots. It's appreciated, especially in a soup so light in nature. Lightness also gives way to more customization, presenting you with the option of jazzing things up by adding lemon to this chicken noodle soup.

Old El Paso Jalapeño Chicken Noodle Soup changes things up a little bit by adding jalapeño pepper slices and flakes to the mix, and the result is honestly so fun. It's different without being over-the-top and a perfect example of how to change up a bowl of chicken noodle soup the right way. It has a very Tex-Mex vibe to it, but it's still a classic bowl of chicken noodle soup, with tender vegetables, plentiful noodles, and a good amount of chicken.

For the record, it is very spicy, but it depends on the bite you take. There were a few bites when I had a few too many jalapeño flakes on my spoon, and, whew, I needed water fast. The spice also has a tendency to linger a bit after you eat it. This didn't deter me from continuing to eat it, however, because it was just so good. My poor stomach might disagree with that sentiment, though, and it's not higher on the list because, as delicious as it is, this is not a soup to have regularly if you have a sensitive stomach like me. But the heart wants what it wants; I'll absolutely purchase this again. It's chicken noodle soup in a spicy Halloween costume — love it.

You don't get more classic than a Campbell's chicken noodle soup, and the brand's canned Chunky line of soups are a whole meal. Thus, Campbell's Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup is a classic soup that is one of the best options out there and always has been. This product is simply trustworthy. It eats like a meal and is a straight-to-the-point chicken noodle soup with no frills. There's nothing fancy here, but the noodles are huge and so are the chicken and veggie pieces (especially the carrots, which are gigantic).

The soup is well-seasoned and is truly what would come to mind when I think of chicken noodle soup. Sure, it's a little watery, but the ingredients are so big that they make up for the flavor. This option will always be high on my list of chicken noodle soups but fails to make the top three because of the slight wateriness. No shade to this product, though. It's always a good choice when you're in the mood for chicken noodle soup.

Here we are at the homestretch, and if I'm being completely honest with you, I did not expect Walmart's Marketside Chicken Noodle Soup to be here. It's just so unassuming. It's also on the cheaper side, especially for a grocery store deli soup. It completely blew me away, however, because, hand on my heart, it truly tastes like a chicken noodle soup from the '90s. Seriously, this is the soup from childhood. One bite and I'm transported to a Luby's, Sweet Tomatoes, or some other mall cafeteria-type restaurant of my youth.

It's on the heavier side, most likely because of the chicken, which is a darker meat. It doesn't exactly taste healthy compared to many of the other options on this list, but it's so good I don't care. This soup is the opposite of watery and the definition of comfort, with its tender and floppy rectangle noodles, tasty seasoning, and stew-like consistency. Eating this soup is like time traveling. What a treat.

If Marketside's chicken noodle soup tastes like it's from a restaurant from the '90s, Panera Bread Chicken Noodle Soup tastes like one from a restaurant from, well, now. It tastes exactly like what it is: a thick, well-seasoned chicken noodle soup from a chain restaurant in 2025. And if you're a chain-loving gal like me, you'll love this soup.

This is the lighter and healthier-tasting equivalent of Marketside's version due to the soup being made with strictly white meat, which is why it's ranked slightly higher. Another reason it's a tad higher is because every ingredient is so deliciously tender that bits of it flake off, thickening the broth and making it all the more flavorful. The best thing to do would be to eat these two soups (Panera and Marketside) side by side, taking a bite of one then a bite of the other. I promise you that it will feel like time hopping.

It turns out that chicken noodle soups from grocery store delis are, hands down, the best options. I didn't think you could get any better than the previous two, but then here comes Signature SELECT Chicken Noodle Soup, a Von's (and affiliated stores) specialty. Again, this soup is unassuming. I wouldn't expect a chicken noodle soup I bought at the grocery store on my exact block to be the king of all the chicken noodle soups, and yet here we are.

Every ingredient in this soup is crumbly, giving it that appreciated thicker consistency, much like Panera's version. What gives this one the upper hand is the overall taste — oh my goodness, it's just so dang good. It's perfectly seasoned, and the tenderness of the ingredients makes every single bite enjoyable. This is because all of the ingredients are flaking off everywhere, so you're guaranteed to get every single one of them on the spoon every time. Somebody give this soup a crown because it's the winner. This chicken noodle soup is just right and makes me want to write it a song.

These specific brands of chicken noodle soup were chosen because they were all of the ones located at stores in my general vicinity. They were tasted one right after the other and appropriately ranked based on overall flavor, consistency, and value. Of course, personal preference came into play, as I prefer non-heavy soups and have a sensitive stomach. However, it is also my belief that a soup such as chicken noodle should be a friend to stomachs of all types, as it's so often what we turn to in times of sickness and comfort-seeking.