5 Absolute Best Progresso Soups To Try

Soup made from scratch, simmering away on the stove as you walk into the house after a long day, is inarguably the best way to enjoy a bowl of warm comfort. But just because you don’t have the time to spend chopping and boiling for an hour before dinner doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a hot bowl of soup whenever you’re craving one. That’s where canned soup comes in. And although there are likely several different canned soup brands to choose from at your local grocery store, Progresso has to be one of the best. The brand offers an incredible selection of different soups, ranging from classic chicken noodle to veggie- and bean-packed offerings.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the soup aisle, though, you’re not alone. It can be difficult to choose which soup to get when you’re looking for a quick and easy meal. Luckily, we taste-tested several different Progresso flavors in order to provide you with a list of some of the brand’s most delicious options. The next time you’re looking for an easy lunch or a dinner you can have prepared in less than five minutes, give these Progresso soups a try.

Savory beef barley vegetable

When you’re craving soup that feels super hearty and filling, turn to this savory beef barley vegetable soup. It’s from the brand’s Rich and Hearty line, and it’s definitely both of those things. The best part of this soup is the fact that it doesn’t skimp on the beef at all — you’ll find generous chunks of it throughout the broth. That’s bolstered by barley, which feels quite a bit more filling than a rice-based soup, for example. Veggies, including green beans and carrots, round out the soup nicely, offering an herbaceous quality and some freshness to the dish.

The broth is salty and rich in flavor, but it’s not super thick — the result is a soup that still feels nice and light and won’t weigh you down. Add some cheese on top for a richer twist, or sprinkle in some red chili flakes to give the soup a touch of heat. Of course, you can always enjoy it all on its own, since it’s delicious enough to stand up to basically any canned soup on the market.

Chicken and herb dumplings

There’s perhaps no dish more comforting than chicken and dumplings. Although we love a good chicken noodle, the fact that this chicken and herb dumplings soup contains dumplings instead of regular noodles makes it something special. Those dumplings are nice and soft, creating a lovely and approachable textural quality in this canned soup. They’re not quite as substantial as the kinds of dumplings you may expect in a home-cooked dish, but for a canned soup, they’re seriously delicious.

Of course, those herby dumplings aren’t the only appealing part of this soup. You also have the big chunks of chicken, which creates a nice contrast with the dumplings and makes this soup quite a bit more filling. Carrots and celery round it out, offering some nutrients, color, and, of course, flavor to this canned soup. Is it exactly the same as your Southern grandma’s homemade chicken and dumplings? Of course not. But when you’re craving dumplings but don’t want to put in any of the work, this soup may just be the next best thing.

Rigati pasta and meatball

You know when you open a can of soup and pour it into a pot, only to realize that it’s mostly broth and there are barely any solid ingredients at all? We’ve been there, too, and it can be super disappointing when you’re actually looking forward to a flavorful and filling meal. But that’s definitely not going to happen when you choose Progresso’s rigati pasta and meatball. This is a seriously thick and substantial soup for one that comes out of a can, and we couldn’t be more happy about it.

The rigati pasta accounts for the bulk of this soup. Despite the fact that the pasta is slightly too soft for our liking, its small shape still provides a nice textural basis for the soup. What really shines, though, is the tiny meatballs in the mix. They’re made with both pork and turkey, and they have a subtle richness to them that keeps things interesting. And because they’re so small, there are a lot of them, meaning you can have a meatball in every single bite. The tomato-based broth and veggies make this soup even heartier with a salty, almost umami flavor profile that we just can’t get enough of.

Green split pea

Okay, hear us out here. We know that split pea soup isn’t for everyone. And let’s face it: It doesn’t look very good when it comes out of the can. In fact, this Progresso green split pea soup is definitely the least appealing-looking soup on this list. But just because it doesn’t look particularly attractive doesn’t mean it tastes bad. In fact, this veggie-heavy soup is perfect for those days when you want a soup that feels kind of substantial but isn’t too heavy.

Of course, this soup tastes mostly like green split peas. There’s an earthiness and an herbaceous quality there, along with a savory quality that keeps this simple soup from being too boring. Perhaps the most important part of the equation, though, is the bacon flavoring. Although you’re not going to get big chunks of bacon in every bite with this soup, there’s just enough of it that it provides the recipe with enough richness and flavor that you’ll truly enjoy every bite. So, sure, close your eyes when you’re preparing this soup if you don’t like the look of it, but don’t write it off just because it could look more delicious than it does.

Slow-cooked vegetable beef

Sometimes, you just need a soup that’s simple, basic, and that hits the spot every time. That’s just what you’ll get with Progresso’s slow-cooked vegetable beef soup. From the picture on the front of the can, this soup doesn’t necessarily look like anything special, especially compared to the more creative or less common soups on this list. But that simplicity is part of what makes the product so appealing.

Like with the savory beef barley vegetable soup, you’re going to find big chunks of beef in this soup. However, there are quite a few more vegetables in the mix, including potatoes, corn, green beans, and carrots. Because there’s so much going on here, you’re not going to get bored after a few bites. It’s all in a rich, beefy broth that’s not too thick — this is a soup, not a stew, after all. And since this is such a basic recipe, feel free to add other seasonings and spices to make for a low-effort dinner that’s sure to hit the spot when you just want a bowl of something warm and comforting.