Canned Cream Of Mushroom Soup Brands Ranked

Don't be a victim of bad soup. Especially one that's brown, with little bits of unidentifiable plants in it. Today, this suffering ends. Say hello to the most popular canned cream of mushroom soup brands, ranked worst to very best.

Mushrooms have clearly had it with their former dark, peaty lives. They're busting out, tagging in for porterhouse steaks, jumping into smoothies as tinctures and powders, and forcing everyone you know to constantly talk about "getting into microdosing." To get a handle on this craze, we must ask ourselves an important question; "What is mushroom coffee and should I drink it?" (Wait, no. A different question.) "Why — in light of the greater mushroom rebrand — is canned cream of mushroom soup still a thing?" And which one is worth putting in the cart?

Personal opinion here, but cream of mushroom soup deserves the bad rap it gets. It has done almost nothing to reinvent itself over 500 years (rough estimate) and it's clearly living in the '60s. Is it more than just a B-team ingredient for other recipes? Can it stand on its own, in a bowl, all by itself, in all its shroomy glory? Signs point to maybe. But I'm tasting and ranking it anyway. Join me as I unearth the tragic story of canned cream of mushroom soup and shine a light on the magnificent discovery of the one that's actually worth eating solo. Shall we shroom?

Dr. Kellyann's Creamy Mushroom Condensed Soup, which is dairy-free, didn't understand the assignment. Spoiler alert, it's not creamy. Whatever alleged creaminess that may have come with the can disappeared immediately once I added extra liquid, like a ghost pirate ship into a dense fog. Looking at the ingredients list, there is nary an item that would even accidentally cause creaminess. (Perhaps cassava flour was meant to serve this purpose?) We may never know.

Annoyingly, it seems that we, the customers, are responsible for even a semblance of velvety texture via milk or "alternative." Sadly, I implemented the first suggestion on the can, which was to add water. This soup needed a lot of things. What it didn't need was more water.

Smelling like a generic vegetable recipe, the texture of Dr. Kellyann was brothy and swimming with bits of herbs, with no visible mushrooms. It was savory and pretty well seasoned, but the translucent gray color only added to the rapidly accumulating pile of cons. Organic chicken bone broth provides the base, but even if I were extremely mindful of clean eating, I wouldn't get this soup because the only thing that could make it better is adding all the heavy cream you have in your fridge. I promise there are many delicious ways to use canned soup. But this one might do best as a paperweight.

For those who enjoy roughing it in nature when it comes to their soup, Health Valley Organic Cream of Mushroom Soup's got your number. This recipe features the lingering whisper of mushroom farm manure with zero — and I mean zero — detectable seasoning. Bonus: It's gluten-free. Unfortunately, it's also delicious-free.

How it still packs 450 milligrams of sodium per 1 cup serving is one of the natural wonders of the world. The brand also lists close to 7 billion (okay, roughly 31, give or take) ingredients on the label. Highlighted offerings include organic portobello mushrooms, butter, and onion powder. But I'm not as wild about the organic maltodextrin, which is a chemically processed sweetener. (But, hey, at least it's organic, right?)

Still, it's not all bad news. The color of this soup is gorgeous. It's exactly the warm, appetizing hue a mushroom soup should be. The flavor, though, has left the building, locked us in from the outside, and is now a confirmed flight risk. There are plenty of comforting soup recipes out there in the world, but this brand is nowhere close to being one of them.

This one's a little painful. I feel like I'm bashing on an icon. Look at that label — old, yet new. You're timeless, Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup With Roasted Garlic. It's like watching an '80s supermodel walk the Fashion Week runway in 2024. A treasure. But then she promptly trips and falls on her beautiful face.

A note: I'm doing everyone a service by not photographing the mess inside of this can. (Mainly because I couldn't get it to blend nicely, and it was NSFW.) This soup is obviously meant to be enjoyed with friends. And those friends are beef stroganoff, green bean casserole — look, literally any recipe that calls for a can of cream of mushroom soup.

As far as the flavor goes, garlic, I taste you. Mushrooms, where you at? This recipe features a whole bunch of ingredients modern shoppers don't usually want anymore, but that's not even the worst part. Maybe I'm feeling a little nostalgic for monosodium glutamate. If you're jonesing for cream of mushroom soup in a bowl, with a crusty baguette, or cozy grilled cheese, choose a brand further down this list. This one's better for a fashiony, pop art take on a well-stocked pantry.

Another magic trick in a can, Progresso Creamy Mushroom Soup looks creamy, but isn't. How this is accomplished is a mystery. Looking at it, it's hard to believe any cream was used in the making of this soup, and yet, it's the opposite of brothy.

It's mushroom-flavored, but just barely. To me, it reads almost like a savory sort of milkshake. Somehow that would make more sense. And for so little discernible flavor, it packs a whopping sodium content of 800 milligrams per 1 cup serving. 

One suggestion could be to change the name to "mushroom de la cream" soup, since that's what it feels like I'm eating. It's also way too milky somehow, and greasy tasting. Surprise, there's also sugar in it for some reason. (Maybe it is a milkshake.) Considering that this can is full of bioengineered ingredients, modified food starch, and soy protein concentrate, I'll take my creamy mushroom sensibilities elsewhere.

Less sodium, now with sea salt! Like a lot of the mid-range soups on this list, this one's ... okay. On a scale of nope to meh, it's a definite question mark. It offers little to no curb appeal, a less than appetizing texture, and the slight whisper of creaminess doesn't coat the back of the spoon, if that's any measure. (It is.)

I bit into the tiniest bit of mushroom, which was a happy accident, mainly because I was afraid of the broth. The flavor is that of generic mushroom — and tastes mostly salty. But after sampling the completely flavorless varieties on this list, I was just grateful that it was seasoned with something. Anything.

This condensed soup requires the addition of water, which is tough to incorporate without a lot of focus on stirring. Maybe it needs more fat for a more dimensional flavor and better texture? It's proudly heart-healthy on the label, which, in this case, means sad in the mouth. Somehow, it has 49% less sodium than other condensed soups (which is a weird number), but tastes saltier. Someone call for help. The victim was last seen eating Kroger Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup With Sea Salt.

Winner in the category of "Not as Bad as It Looks," we have Pacific Foods' Organic Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup. I added milk, which is suggested for this condensed recipe, but it felt almost like it was all milk, no shrooms. When I first went to taste it, I found myself wishing very hard that this would magically turn into a bowl of cereal.

This one features a hugely unappetizing color, but surprisingly okay flavor. There's obviously some kind of sorcery at work here. (Texting the distributor on the back of the can.)

One thing to note is that this soup really needs to be stirred, once heated. Vigorously. Otherwise, you will find globs of condensed something-or-other lurking at the bottom of the bowl. Is there a reason people usually put this type of soup into a much larger, heartier recipe versus eating it on its own? Yes. This brand's got a short list of ingredients, which is generally a positive. But not even 1,510 milligrams of sodium in this can could save it.

(Low-key loving that this soup matches my napkins.) Seven soup brands in, I'm fully leaning into the Mushroom Girl Aesthetic. Simple Truth's Organic Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup is nothing if not truthful, at least as far as the label reveals. It features all-organic everything from mushrooms to corn starch to organic whey.

The initial contents of the can are repellant in the stovetop pan. But once it gets heated up, things get a little more homogenous (aka, stirrable and soup-like). Still, it could probably benefit from a spin in the blender — otherwise, it looks grainy, speckled with little white dots of cream, like stars in the taupe night sky. It offers a pleasant flavor, but it's one-note, tasting of slightly gluey mushrooms. It's rounding the bases but missing something essential for that home run. Maybe some herbs for a more dimensional profile? A little more fat in the broth base? A bit of bacon? (Always hoping for bacon.)

The aroma reads semi-mushroomy, but with an unmistakable, clinical vibe. No offense to hospital soups, but ... perhaps it's a cousin. I found a few mushroom bits swimming around in the broth. They seemed feral and would not be caught by my spoon.

Kettle & Fire Keto Mushroom Bisque steps up the creamy mushroom soup game for our top five. First impressions reveal an appetizing, umami-type shroom-roma as I stuffed my nose into the warm steam of the bowl. My spidey sense told me to proceed.

That free-range chicken bone broth base is a total plus. Bone broth has been known to help calm inflammation, stimulate muscle building, and boost your bod with repairing agents like collagen, aminos, and electrolytes. It's also nice when other people do the work of stewing bone broth because it's a bit of a vibe to make it yourself. (P.S., double straining is the key to perfect bone broth.)

Love the keto branding (keto being a higher fat, lower carb diet that can help fight diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimers). But, flavor-wise, this one's a little limp. I see the bits and bobs of mushrooms and herbs in the bowl, but I'm left wishing there was more flavor. A pinch of salt helped a lot. (An extremely tiny bit of bacon helped even more.) Veggies are advertised, but if you came for vegetable soup, you're gonna go home empty-handed. Made with heavy cream and butter, 1 cup of Kettle & Fire packs 450 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of protein, and 17 grams of fat. If you're shopping for Kettle & Fire, you'll want to get hip to that nutrition info.

(Imagine a soup with mushroom pieces in it.) Imagine Portobello Mushroom Creamy Soup is velvety smooth, with zero things you need to chew. Potatoes contribute to the creaminess of this recipe, but they've been pulverized so long ago, you won't taste them in the mix.

This recipe is well-seasoned without feeling salty. Organic veggies and herbs lend Imagine a lot of flavor. It smells delightfully mushroomy. But the off-brown color reads a little too gray to give off that appetizing charisma. I forgive portobello mushrooms for being the color of mushrooms.

This soup is meant to be explored, with recipe ideas emblazoned onto the back of the carton. Pour it over chicken for added protein, or top it with whole mushrooms and veggies with a sprig of thyme. (Adding mushrooms? Try this simmering trick to give your mushrooms a savory boost.) Either way, if you're in the mood for a versatile, creamy mushroom soup, this one's not a bad bet. Even so, it didn't nab our top spot. (See: Mushroom pieces.)

I preface this by admitting that I first tested this soup without realizing it was, in fact, condensed. (First undiluted impressions: Very thick, like some kind of glue approved by NASA for space exploration. Reminded me of something from "Ghostbusters.") All of that happened before I realized I needed to add water to the pot. 

Once it was thinned out a little bit, I could appreciate the pleasing, earthy aromas emanating from the bowl. As far as flavor goes, it was salted, which seems to be lacking across the board. Of course, this prized ingredient was also reflected in the sodium content, which is 1,680 milligrams for the box. But break that into four bowls of soup for four friends, and it's like 420 milligrams per person, which is much more manageable.

The texture is slightly creamy but definitely leans more brothy. But it's a definite contender for anyone hoping for a good cream of mushroom soup. Just remember to dilute the contents of the can. 

We've reached the top two soups on our list — the upper echelon where I might not be totally embarrassed to serve this soup to guests. Amy's Mushroom Bisque With Porcini looks like the picture on the label. It's a pleasure to eat, with lots of little flavorful bits of organic mushrooms, organic leeks, and organic white Arborio rice. Did I mention it's largely organic?

This brand packs flavor for days, and shockingly pleasant looks for a mushroom soup (trust me, I've seen some things). It gets its lovely mushroom flavor from organic mushrooms and wild-crafted porcini powder, as well as onion, celery, cream, butter, and salt. Still, anytime one of these soups tastes halfway decent, there's the automatic assumption that there's gonna be a load of sodium. Here, it's 1,120 milligrams of sodium for the can.

The texture is wonderfully smooth, like a "cream of something" soup should be, with a viscosity that doesn't hold itself together like it's clinging onto a life raft at the end of "Titanic." Instead, my spoon easily traversed the bowl, scooping up a hearty bisque that coated my mouth in velvet mushrooms. Even better, it smells like a soup that you cooked all day on the stove. (Speaking of, here's a bunch of mushrooms and what to cook with them.)

Never before in my life have I been so glad to open a jar of mushroom soup. Can I be honest and say this is the first brand that I actually wanted to eat? Zoup! Portabella Mushroom Bisque features a gorgeous, deep brown color, with legit mushroom pieces all over the place. I even found a whole mushroom slice in the mix. A-plus. Are we giving out soup trophies? Golden mushrooms? (I'll have to see what we have in storage, but Zoup! gets one.) I would even buy this as a mushroom bisque-esque candle.

The flavor is savory, herby, well-seasoned, rich, and umami. And the creamy, velvety, almost chowder-y texture is comforting and fun to chew. Featuring a veggie broth base, butter, and white and portabella mushrooms (portabella happens to be the preferred way the Mushroom Council spells these shrooms — with two A's. Also, there's a Mushroom Council), it also packs the most sodium per serving on our list: 730 milligrams of sodium for every 1 cup. It's totally worth it, though. Treat yourself to a cream of mushroom soup that eats like an actual meal.

Unfortunately, this brand is called Zoup!, which isn't soup, and henceforth must be disqualified. (Kidding — don't take my bowl!) No other brand beats this mushroom soup G.O.A.T.

Some call it genius, others call it natural talent. But really, I love the savory, earthy flavor of mushrooms. Still, I don't typically love this type of cream-based soup. I'm like a beauty pageant judge who hates evening gowns and talents. But I accepted this challenge, trying every single one of these soup brands myself, lighting up the burner on the stove, and eventually tapping out and nuking the rest. (Do I pick up my purple heart at the post office, or ..?)

I love an adventure, and this was a soup-based rollercoaster of emotions. I shopped at a few of my local supermarkets and grabbed each and every variety of cream of mushroom soup I could find. In other news, I may never eat soup again. But now, if I do, I know which brand might be worth a second chance. (Hint: I'll definitely be starting with No. 1.)

Don't want to let go of the modern mushroom energy just yet? Dive into why everyone is putting mushrooms in matcha — they're not just for coffee (or soup) anymore!