By Ariana Losch |
The best broccoli cheddar soup is velvety, rich, and mixed with broccoli hunks that utilize both florets and stems. The broccoli should be soft and evenly cooked, but not mushy. The melted cheddar should have a sharp and smoky flavor without overpowering the other key ingredients like pepper, garlic, and onion. That’s what we were looking for when we set out to find the best broccoli cheese soup at the grocery store.
I’ll never forget the first time I tried broccoli cheddar soup. I was 13 years old and having lunch with my mom at, you guessed it, Panera. She ordered it for herself, and I bravely ventured a sip—I say bravely because I was still at the age where vegetables were to be tolerated, not enjoyed. It only took one spoonful for my brain chemistry to be permanently altered. I thought I had died and entered an alternate reality where a soup named after a vegetable could taste like heaven. (Then again, anything with melted cheese is usually a religious experience, so I don’t know why I was so afraid in the first place.)
Needless to say, Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup holds a special place in my heart. And like any person with common sense and a discerning palette, I went into this taste test thinking it would blow the competition out of the water. Imagine my shock, my dismay, when that turned out not to be the case. I had a core memory to live up to, and this ranking was starting to feel like a betrayal of middle school me, my mom, and the integrity of broccoli cheddar soup itself. And sure, I’m over it now. But this was a journey for me, you guys—and I want you to know I did not take these decisions lightly. So without further ado, let’s get into it the best broccoli and cheese soup you can find at the grocery store.
- Campbell’s Slow Kettle Style Broccoli Cheddar Soup with a Crunch
This small-portioned, on-the-go cup of broccoli cheddar soup comes with addictive little cheese crisps you can sprinkle over the top. As a snack or small lunch, it’s top notch. In my experience, it’s hard to find texture and decent-sized chunks of broccoli in a canned soup. These seasoned cheese croutons add a beautiful, much-needed crunch. It’s a long ways away from the best broccoli cheddar soup on this list, but it’s pretty cheap ($2.22) and will definitely do in a pinch.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Campbell’s Condensed Broccoli Cheese Soup
When it comes to the best broccoli cheese soup from a can, this condensed version from Campbell’s is hard to beat. Especially for control freaks like me. You get to tweak the consistency and the overall flavor intensity of the soup—which is nice, because as it turns out, canned broccoli cheese soup is not very flavorful. (I know, I tried a bunch of them.) I was pleasantly surprised by Campbell’s, though. Even if you follow directions and add a can of milk, it has a bold, cheesy, salty flavor and a rich consistency. It also utilizes broccoli stems as well as the florets—bonus points in my book.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Marketside Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Oh, Marketside. You’ve really done something interesting here. (For those who don’t know, Marketside is Walmart’s deli brand.) I admit, spooning this out of the tub, I was a little concerned—it’s thick and globby at first, but thins out as you warm and stir it. The pungent cheese smell also triggered my skepticism, but it’s actually the best part. The flavors in this soup are bold. Brazen. The cheddar carries a smoky sharpness. Onion and garlic linger with every slurp. Marketside may not be the best broccoli cheese soup on this list, especially if you’re looking for more balanced flavors, but it definitely stands out from other brands.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar Soup
If it’s been a minute since you’ve had Panera Bread’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup, let me tell you everything that they do right: this soup is velvety, lightweight, and smooth; the broccoli florets are perfectly sized and many come whole; and the addition of shredded carrots bring out a whole new depth of flavor that sets it apart from other soups. Now, what do they do wrong? Honestly, not much. It’s a great soup. We just found one that was… better. And, okay, fine: the carrot flavor in this soup is more pronounced than others—and while my adult self has now learned to worship vegetables as strongly as I once worshiped cheese, there is something to be said for keeping broccoli cheddar just that: broccoli and cheddar. Broccoli cheddar may still be the best Panera soup at the grocery store, but Panera Broccoli Cheddar is not the best broccoli cheese soup.
Credit: Liv Averett / Kroger
- Signature Cafe Broccoli Cheddar Soup
In case this isn’t obvious already, I was in denial about our #1 pick. After one sip of this broccoli cheddar soup from Vons (or any Albertsons-owned grocery store), I couldn’t believe my own treacherous taste buds. Could this really be the best broccoli cheddar soup on the market? I made the rest of the Sporked team try it, and even after they agreed Signature Cafe has an overall better flavor profile than Panera, I still had to set aside my biases. But I can’t ignore the truth: Signature Cafe’s broccoli cheddar soup stews and bubbles at the perfect creamy thickness. It has a slightly smoky tang. The recipe uses broccoli florets and stems, which I love. The real beauty, though, is in the balance of seasonings: the pepper, garlic, parmesan, and onion all work in harmony to make an undeniably great flavor. Amazingly, this soup is also gluten-free—making the best gluten free broccoli cheddar soup we tried, in addition to earning just about every other accolade, too.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
Best On-the-Go
Rating:
7/10
Sporks
Best Canned
Rating:
7.5/10
Sporks
Best Sharp Cheddar
Runner Up
Rating:
9.5/10
Sporks
Best of the Best
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Other Broccoli Cheese Soups We Tried: Bear Creek Cheddar Broccoli Soup Mix, Sprouts Aged Cheddar Broccoli, Soup Vegetarian Recipe, Kettle & Fire Broccoli Cheddar Soup With Chicken Bone Broth, Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar Broccoli Soup, Progresso Broccoli Cheese (Traditional), Campbell’s Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Bisque, Progresso Light Broccoli Cheese Canned Soup, Whole Foods Market Double Cheddar Broccoli Soup, Amazon Kitchen Broccoli Cheddar
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About the Author
Ariana Losch
Ariana Losch is a Sporked contributor, webcomic writer, java junkie, and bad TV enthusiast. She only ever feels at peace laying out on a beach like a kebab, roasting in the sun; sadly, she can never move back to Florida, her home state, because there simply isn’t enough good Mediterranean food. You can find her overstaying her welcome at just about every LA coffee shop, working on a screenplay and avoiding all eye contact. (She is embarrassed to be there, please leave her alone.)
