Any canned soups that are almost as good as homemade?

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Funny story. I make pretty darn good chicken soup (Jewish style), if I may say so myself. Back in the day when we still talk to my SIL, we had dinner at my in laws. She tasted my soup and said it was almost as good as Swanson's (i think that was the brand she mentioned). Most everybody burst out laughing.
But then my FIL like canned tomato soup and would not eat the home made kind. I guess his mother was a "quin of canned foods" and that was what he grew up with.
 
Some of the organic soups in jars from local farm stands in my area are pretty darn good but commercially made ones, is almost an impossibility. imo
 
Habitant French Canadian Pea Soup is pretty darned good. I have never taste a home or resto cooked pea soup that was better.
I will admit though the habitant peas soup is pretty good with minimal natural ingredients although my home made version using chicken stock and a ham hock is imo much improved but I'm biased aren't I. :brows:
 
I will admit though the habitant peas soup is pretty good with minimal natural ingredients although my home made version using chicken stock and a ham hock is imo much improved but I'm biased aren't I. :brows:
That actually wouldn't surprise me if your version was even better. So, how do I get a chance to taste your homemade one?
 
One jarred soup that I love is from La Madeleine French Bakery. I don't know how many states they are in, but they do sell online.

The soup is there Tomato Basil Soupe.


Here is a copycat recipe, too...


CD
 
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I prefer Progresso for canned soup, except for tomato because Progresso is not condensed so you can't make cream of tomato. For cream of tomato I go with the old standby; Campbell's tomato soup made with half & half instead of water.
 
You really need to experiment.

I like a few of the Progresso and Campbell’s soups but they are a bit pricey unless you catch a sale or find them at the $tore.

Some of the refrigerated soups are pretty good but a bit spendy.

Try your hand at making a few homemade or semi homemade soups and experiment with freezing a few individual portions.

Some very nice quick inexpensive soups can start with a jar of pasta sauce, creamed corn, frozen or leftover vegetables, etc…

If you have a blender try making cream of anything soup.

For each serving:

1-1 1/4 cups of broth, milk or vegetable juice.
1 cup leftover cooked vegetables.
Season to taste.

Heat the vegetables in the broth and carefully puree with a stick or conventional blender. You can also puree the ingredients cold and heat in the microwave with good results.
 
Admittedly, I keep around a lot of canned soups. My favorites are soups like chicken and dumplings, pot pie soup, split pea, New England clam chowder, etc, and the brand I buy the most is Campbell's. But I also buy Progresso.

As mentioned, there's Rao's and some other jarred soups, but they're too pricey for me.

I definitely prefer homemade soup and make it when I can. But canned soups are okay in a pinch. I sometimes doctor them up by adding extra vegetables and/or seasonings.
 
We live in a very rural area and have relatively little choice in specialty items in our markets. Our nearest big city is Nashville, TN, about 3 hours away. A different world for me since I lived in Washington, DC for over 30 years and nearly everything in the world was at my fingertips. Oh, well, that's life.

As for soup, I endorse Progresso and, when on sale at our area Kroger, I can get it for $1.00 per can and, you bet, that's when I stock up. Especially in preparation for the colder months.
 
We live in a very rural area and have relatively little choice in specialty items in our markets. Our nearest big city is Nashville, TN, about 3 hours away. A different world for me since I lived in Washington, DC for over 30 years and nearly everything in the world was at my fingertips. Oh, well, that's life.

As for soup, I endorse Progresso and, when on sale at our area Kroger, I can get it for $1.00 per can and, you bet, that's when I stock up. Especially in preparation for the colder months.
I stocked up this week on Chunky soups. Got them for $1.49 a can with digital coupon.
 
Our pantry shelf looks like the Progresso soup shelf at the grocery! Their clam chowder, beef pot roast with vegetables, chicken and sausage gumbo--yum! I make a lot of soups, and they are very tasty, but the Progresso minestrone is almost as good as mine, and doesn't take nearly as long to prepare. I was raised on Campbell's, mostly chicken noodle, and haven't had a Campbell's soup since I left home.
 

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