Looking for High Quality Canned Soup ...  

Hi, Finding some high quality canned or boxed soups, perhaps even organic, has become something of a priority. The usual soups, Campbell's, Progresso, and even some of the organics, tend to be overly salted, watery, and sometimes lacking in quality and quantity of solid ingredients. Around here a can of soup can be as much as $3.00 or more, and while soup can be had on sale, for that kind of money it would be nice to have better quality ingredients in the can.

So, what do you recommend as a quality prepared soup? All types interest me - chowders, vegetable soups, meat soups, etc.

Yeah, you're not understanding something.  I sometimes get very busy, sometimes I deal with a number of problems and issues that must be dealt with on short notice, and sometimes, at such times, I'd like something quick and easy to prepare, especially when my freezer and fridge are low on supplies.  What's wrong with canned soup.  I know that there are lots of people here that eat prepared foods - some even eat junk food.  So WTF is wrong with trying to find a few good quality prepared soups to make my life a little easier and more comfortable.

As for recipes, well, I have more than 1,200 recipes on my computer, going back to when I first started cooking seriously in 1966.  If I want to make soup or stock I can certainly do so, and I do so frequently.

And by the way, you do sound like a judgemental snob.  I'm willing to bet that, should I go through your pantry and kitchen, there'd be a fair amount of prepared and commercial foods to be found.    And this forum is composed of people who EAT all sorts of things as well as people who cook.  Do you prepare every meal from scratch?  Ever have a bowl of breakfast cereal?  Did you go out and harvest the grains, grind them, toast them, and milk the cow that provided the milk or cream?  So, put a sock in it and get off your high horse.
Edited by Schmoozer - 3/2/10 at 7:35pm

Buzz off ... you don't know who I am and what I cook.  I make a lot of stocks and soups, teach cooking classes to seniors, and prepare several nice dinners for friends every month or so.  And, FWIW, soup not only gets made from scratch, but it comes out of a can and box as well. 
Edited by Schmoozer - 3/2/10 at 7:33pm

Hey there, DeltaDork - whatever I said in my previous messages is applicable to you as well.

If I'm low on fresh food and ingredients, it doesn't mean that I'd be low on canned items.  You see, I generally don't shop at supermarkets.  The local, organic farmers' market is my preference, so items like cans of soup can hang around for quite a while.  I usually shop for fresh ingredients several times a week, and don't inventory meat, fish, or produce for more than a couple of days.  But there are some days I don't feel like shopping, or can't shop, and it would be nice to just heat up a can or box of soup.  For me it's usually a one or, at most, two day thing.  Often I'll add ingredients to the soups I have been buying - using the soup as a base and then dumping in vegetables, meat, herbs, etc.  But every now and then I get in a bind, and just popping open a can of soup and not fussing would be very nice, unfortunately, most commercial soups are pretty bad, and that's why I asked for good quality possibilities.

No, I've not thought much about canning my own soups, but I've certainly made plenty of soup and stock that has been frozen.
However, not all soups freeze well, or as well as I'd like.  Having home made stock on hand means that I can whip up a soup by just tossing in some vegetables, meat, grains, beans, or whatever, but my life is such that I don't always have everything I want on hand, and I won't go into details here about my personal life to explain my circumstances.  All I want is a few suggestions for soups that others like and that I may not be familiar with to try.

Honestly, I'm not too interested in canning, at least I haven't been in the past.  Nonetheless, even if I had a freezer filled with soup, etc., I'd still want a few cans of soup around.

Look, I do all those things - make my own stocks, soups, freeze 'em, reheat 'em, and even eat them.  I've been cooking for more years than some in this thread have been on this earth, have taught cooking classes, and even had a small business making and selling sauces.   However, every now and then, for whatever reason, it's easy and comfortable for me to open a can or box of soup, and what's the big deal about that?  For example, it's almost 3:00am here, the neighbor's dog woke me up, it's cold and rainy, and I wanted something warm and tasty, so I opened a box of TJ's roasted red pepper and tomato soup, added a quickly diced piquillo pepper, a pinch of red pepper flakes, a bit of organic, late harvest California olive oil, and had a quick, easy and acceptably enjoyable hot cup of soup.  Why are so many here putting me down (overtly, aggressively, or subtly) because I sometimes want a can of soup?

I know a number of chefs and restaurateurs (and people here would recognize their names) in the San Francisco Bay Area where I live, and guess what - sometimes they even open a can of soup, or open a box of Oreos, or use instant rice or instant mashed potatoes.  WTF is the big deal about wanting to find a decent commercial product to enjoy when the mood strikes or circumstances dictate having something quick and easy?  Sheesh!  I've not come across such small-minded people in a long time.  Who here has never opened a can of tuna fish or dipped into a jar of peanut butter?

Sure I'm miffed - I, too, thought this was a lovely forum, but like many nice places, some of the neighbors sometimes behave like jerks.  Perhaps you can direct some of your sarcasm to those who have been rude and condescending in the first place.  So, may those who have behaved like condescending, petty adolescents, relax, chill out, and have a nice cup of soup.  For those who have actually helped with suggestions, thank you very much.

Oh, just one more small thing.  Down at the bottom of this page there's an ad for Campbell's soup.  Goodness!  In a forum "that is composed of professional chefs and other cooks with an interest in cooking?"  LOL  Perhaps you should take this travesty up with Nikko.

Well, my boxed soup from TJ's has warmed me, comforted me, saved me from defrosting or preparing something for a quick snack, and put me in a better frame of mind.  Heck, even the neighbor's dog has quieted down, the rain has stopped, my cat is curled up and purring on my lap, and all is right with the world.  Not a bad result from about 75-cents worth of prepared food. 

Oh, please point out where I said I'd rather have canned than frozen.  I don't recall saying that.

Thanks - I'm somewhat familiar with Legal Seafoods but didn't know their products could be had outsided of their local area.  Your information is timely as I've been looking for a good NE style chowder.  Thanks!

San Francisco Bay Area ... things are pretty spendy here.

Interesting - my experience with Knorr was many years ago, and I didn't care much for what they offered back then.  Maybe it's time to revisit their soups and see what's new.  Thanks for the suggestion.

Couldn't hurt to take a look, especially since Progresso is easy to find, although I have been using a couple of lentil-vegetable soups that are pretty satisfactory.  I've never seen a hearty tomato soup.  FWIW, CI had a reasonably good, very easy to prepare, recipe for tomato soup using canned tomatoes for the base.  Almost as easy as opening a can LOL  Thanks!

Dry soup mix!?  But then I'd have to add water.  Maybe I can get my neighbor to help me <LOL>

Seriously, thanks for the suggestion.  Others have suggested Knorr so it may be worth a look, although I didn't care much for the soup products many years ago when I tried them.  Nonetheless, they were nice to take backpacking and camping.