Trader Joe's Best Soup Is A Creamy And Comforting Classic

Is your favorite soup to slurp a classic chicken noodle, tangy tomato, or comforting lentil? Trader Joe's has you covered with more than two dozen canned, jarred, frozen, and refrigerated options. But in our ranking of 14 Trader Joe's soups, the clear winner features a beloved TJ's Hall of Fame item: the Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup.

The first four ingredients are milk, water, broccoli, and Unexpected Cheddar Cheese, in that order; so you know this soup is bringing those classic flavors without a whole lot of extra stuff. It's also made with heavy cream, carrots, and onions and is flavored with soy sauce, garlic, Dijon mustard, and white pepper. Of course, the Unexpected Cheddar does a lot of the heavy lifting on the flavor front; it tastes like a combination of tangy sharp cheddar and nutty parmesan.

Our taste tester loved the thick, creamy, chowder-like texture and the ample amount of tender (but not mushy) broccoli. Folks on Reddit say that it's even better than the broccoli cheddar soup at Panera Bread. "This has more of a funky, tangy cheese flavor compared to Panera," shared one fan of the TJ's soup. "This is one of the best things I've eaten in a long time," said another on the same Reddit thread. You can find the Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup in the refrigerated section near the prepared pasta salads — a 20-ounce container costs just $4.99.

This soup is ready to heat-and-eat, but it's even better if you finish it off with a crispy topping. Trader Joe's has a multitude of crunchy snacks that would be perfect on top of a bowl, like the bagged Crispy Garlic, the puff pastry Cheddar & Parmesan Cheese Snackers, or some flaky Rosemary Croissant Croutons. A slice of toasted sourdough or some TJ's Garlic & Cheese Bread Sticks are great for sopping up every last bit of creamy, cheesy soup.

Trader Joe's Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup can also be used to create all sorts of other delicious meals. "Love this, I use it instead of a traditional roux in my macaroni and cheese," shared one creative Redditor. Add in some extra cooked broccoli, canned tuna, and a breadcrumb topping before baking the mac in the oven to make a legendary casserole.

"My boyfriend uses this as the milk/cream in his frittatas that he meal preps and takes to work for breakfast," commented another Redditor. You can also use this cheesy broccoli soup as a topping for baked potatoes, the base for a comforting rice casserole, or as the gravy in a chicken pot pie.