Test Date: July 2011
Testers: Michele and sister Catherine
All products for this test purchased at Trader Joe's, Fred Meyer, and Whole Foods, and were prepared according to microwave directions.
MICHELE'S OPINION: I have to admit that I'm shocked that Amy's won. I've done quite a few other tests with her products and have not liked them. But she can sure do tomato soup! Unfortunately, it is also one of the saltiest that we tasted. If you don't want to do the salt you could go with Trader Joe's creamy tomato soup, which was pretty good but a little bit sour. Other than that I'm afraid you'll have to make your own....at least I would! Read on for more details.....
Price Comparison for 14.5oz tomato soup (store first, then brand)
$3.39 Whole Foods Amy's Organic Chunky
$2.99 Whole Foods Health Valley Organic
$2.62 Whole Foods Pacific Organic
$2.49 Whole Foods Amy's Organic Low Fat
$1.99 Trader Joe's Organic Tomato Bisque
$1.99 Whole Foods 365
$1.97 Fred Meyer Campbell's Condensed
$1.90 Amazon Fresh Progresso
$1.85 Fred Meyer Campbell's Select Harvest
$1.13 Trader Joe's Organic Creamy
1. Campbell's Select Harvest Tomato with Basil (Purchased at Fred Meyer; per Campbell's website, this product is also available at QFC, Albertson's, and Safeway locations): This product has a medium red color, is thick but not chunky and looks creamy. However, oddly it tastes watery and is pretty bland.
2. Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup (Purchased at Fred Meyer and available on Amazon Fresh; available widely): This is a thin broth and unfortunately tastes like the tin can in came in with no spices or flavor.
3. Trader Joe's Organic Tomato Bisque (Only available at Trader Joe's): This soup has a deep red color and is thick and chunky. It tastes like there is cream in it and is almost sweet.
4. Trader Joe's Organic Creamy Tomato Soup (Only available at Trader Joe's): This product is thick but not chunky with a light orange color. It has a fresh, tomato-y taste, but no herb flavor. It is light and creamy tasting and compared to some of the other products is a relatively sour tomato flavor. This product is one of only two that comes in a tetra pack so you can heat whatever portion size you want.
5. Progresso Vegetable Classics Tomato Basil (Purchased on Amazon Fresh and available at Costco; Progresso website does not list other locations for purchase): This is the only soup with lots of herbs in it. It is really thick but not chunky. As you can imagine, it has a very herby flavor but not a ton of tomato flavor. This soup is also very salty.
6. 365 Organic Tomato Soup (Only available at Whole Foods): This product has a thin broth with big chunks of tomato and a few herbs. Frankly it tastes repulsive, like water with a hint of plastic....terrible!
7. Health Valley Organic No Salt Added Tomato Soup (Purchased at Whole Foods and available on Amazon Fresh; per Health Valley website, this product is also available at Safeway stores): This soup is creamy but not chunky. It tastes like unripe tomatoes (bitter and acidic) and is very salty.
8. Amy's Organic Chunky Tomato Bisque (Purchased at Whole Foods and available on Amazon Fresh; per Amy's website, Amy's products are also available at Safeway, Fred Meyer, Larry's Market, and Thriftway): This product has a nice red color and a thick and chunky broth. It has a very tomato-y taste of sweet, not sour, tomatoes.
9. Amy's Organic Low Fat Cream of Tomato (Purchased at Whole Foods and available on Amazon Fresh; per Amy's website, Amy's products are also available at Safeway, Fred Meyer, Larry's Market, and Thriftway): This is identical to Amy's bisque above except that it is not chunky.
10: Pacific Organic Creamy Tomato Soup (Purchased at Whole Foods and available on Amazon Fresh; per Pacific Organic website, products from this line are also available at PCC, Safeway, and Saar's): This soup has a very orange color and a medium thickness with no chunks. It tastes like milk with with very little tomato flavor and is relatively salty. This is the second product that comes in a tetra pack.
NUTRITIONAL NOTES: (Serving size 1 cup) Most of these products have between 90 and 130 calories per cup, except for the Progresso brand, which packs 150 calories into each serving, and Campbell's Condensed, which has 180 per cup, but that is in its condensed version. Adding a can of water to this soup I believe would take the calories down to about half that. In terms of fat content, all but two brands have between 2 and 4 grams per serving. Campbell's Condensed and Select Harvest brands are the only two with no fat. As usual for these taste tests, sodium content is the real wild card here. Trader Joe's Organic Creamy Tomato Soup and Health Valley Organic No Salt Added are at the low end, with 140mg and 60mg respectively per serving, while Progresso, Pacific and both of the Amy's products pack in over 680mg per serving!
As for ingredients, nothing looked out of the ordinary save a few exceptions: Campbell's Condensed has HFCS as it's third ingredient, and both the Progresso and 365 brands contain either soybean or canola oil.
TASTE TEST WINNER: Amy's!
MICHELE'S OPINION: I have to admit that I'm shocked that Amy's won. I've done quite a few other tests with her products and have not liked them. But she can sure do tomato soup! Unfortunately, it is also one of the saltiest that we tasted. If you don't want to do the salt you could go with Trader Joe's creamy tomato soup, which was pretty good but a little bit sour. Other than that I'm afraid you'll have to make your own....at least I would! Read on for more details.....
Price Comparison for 14.5oz tomato soup (store first, then brand)
$3.39 Whole Foods Amy's Organic Chunky
$2.99 Whole Foods Health Valley Organic
$2.62 Whole Foods Pacific Organic
$2.49 Whole Foods Amy's Organic Low Fat
$1.99 Trader Joe's Organic Tomato Bisque
$1.99 Whole Foods 365
$1.97 Fred Meyer Campbell's Condensed
$1.90 Amazon Fresh Progresso
$1.85 Fred Meyer Campbell's Select Harvest
$1.13 Trader Joe's Organic Creamy
1. Campbell's Select Harvest Tomato with Basil (Purchased at Fred Meyer; per Campbell's website, this product is also available at QFC, Albertson's, and Safeway locations): This product has a medium red color, is thick but not chunky and looks creamy. However, oddly it tastes watery and is pretty bland.
2. Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup (Purchased at Fred Meyer and available on Amazon Fresh; available widely): This is a thin broth and unfortunately tastes like the tin can in came in with no spices or flavor.
3. Trader Joe's Organic Tomato Bisque (Only available at Trader Joe's): This soup has a deep red color and is thick and chunky. It tastes like there is cream in it and is almost sweet.
4. Trader Joe's Organic Creamy Tomato Soup (Only available at Trader Joe's): This product is thick but not chunky with a light orange color. It has a fresh, tomato-y taste, but no herb flavor. It is light and creamy tasting and compared to some of the other products is a relatively sour tomato flavor. This product is one of only two that comes in a tetra pack so you can heat whatever portion size you want.
5. Progresso Vegetable Classics Tomato Basil (Purchased on Amazon Fresh and available at Costco; Progresso website does not list other locations for purchase): This is the only soup with lots of herbs in it. It is really thick but not chunky. As you can imagine, it has a very herby flavor but not a ton of tomato flavor. This soup is also very salty.
6. 365 Organic Tomato Soup (Only available at Whole Foods): This product has a thin broth with big chunks of tomato and a few herbs. Frankly it tastes repulsive, like water with a hint of plastic....terrible!
7. Health Valley Organic No Salt Added Tomato Soup (Purchased at Whole Foods and available on Amazon Fresh; per Health Valley website, this product is also available at Safeway stores): This soup is creamy but not chunky. It tastes like unripe tomatoes (bitter and acidic) and is very salty.
8. Amy's Organic Chunky Tomato Bisque (Purchased at Whole Foods and available on Amazon Fresh; per Amy's website, Amy's products are also available at Safeway, Fred Meyer, Larry's Market, and Thriftway): This product has a nice red color and a thick and chunky broth. It has a very tomato-y taste of sweet, not sour, tomatoes.
9. Amy's Organic Low Fat Cream of Tomato (Purchased at Whole Foods and available on Amazon Fresh; per Amy's website, Amy's products are also available at Safeway, Fred Meyer, Larry's Market, and Thriftway): This is identical to Amy's bisque above except that it is not chunky.
10: Pacific Organic Creamy Tomato Soup (Purchased at Whole Foods and available on Amazon Fresh; per Pacific Organic website, products from this line are also available at PCC, Safeway, and Saar's): This soup has a very orange color and a medium thickness with no chunks. It tastes like milk with with very little tomato flavor and is relatively salty. This is the second product that comes in a tetra pack.
NUTRITIONAL NOTES: (Serving size 1 cup) Most of these products have between 90 and 130 calories per cup, except for the Progresso brand, which packs 150 calories into each serving, and Campbell's Condensed, which has 180 per cup, but that is in its condensed version. Adding a can of water to this soup I believe would take the calories down to about half that. In terms of fat content, all but two brands have between 2 and 4 grams per serving. Campbell's Condensed and Select Harvest brands are the only two with no fat. As usual for these taste tests, sodium content is the real wild card here. Trader Joe's Organic Creamy Tomato Soup and Health Valley Organic No Salt Added are at the low end, with 140mg and 60mg respectively per serving, while Progresso, Pacific and both of the Amy's products pack in over 680mg per serving!
As for ingredients, nothing looked out of the ordinary save a few exceptions: Campbell's Condensed has HFCS as it's third ingredient, and both the Progresso and 365 brands contain either soybean or canola oil.
TASTE TEST WINNER: Amy's!
Love the 365 tomato soup.
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