Soup showdown: 3 heat-and-eat tomato soups battle it out

South Africans know when the weather gets icy, it’s time for the slow cooker to emerge, signalling the start of the beloved soup season!

While homemade comfort soup is cherished, we also understand the need for balance, especially when it comes to enjoying a hassle-free and delicious creamy tomato soup.

Crafting a perfectly creamy tomato soup with just the right balance of sweet and tangy flavours can be tricky, making store-bought convenience an appealing option.

So, whether you want to elevate your grilled cheese experience or simply crave a nostalgic bowl of tomato goodness, we have the scoop you need!

We conducted a Food24 Taste Test, pitting three heat-and-eat tomato soups against each other. Our tasting team blindly sampled and rated each soup, determining which one excels in both convenience and flavour.

Although a clear winner emerged, the most intriguing discovery was the unwavering love South Africans have for a piping hot bowl of good creamy tomato soup, even if it means battling heartburn!

Join us as we reveal the top contender ‘soup’er star and explore the delightful world of heat-and-eat tomato soups. It’s time for the ultimate taste test adventure!

Results

1 Woolworths

Tasters found the sample from Woolworths, the top scoring ‘soup’er sample of the day, to be wonderfully creamy and noted that there was a good balance between the sweet and tangy tomato flavours.

Tasters also felt that this sample not only delivered on that moreishly creamy thick T-soup texture, but that it also had a real flavour-packed depth to it, with wholesome pops from fresh basil – all factors that made for a ‘souperb’ experience, especially where creamy heat-and-eat tomato soup is concerned.

Comments some tasters left: “Tastes and even looks proper creamy. Basil flavour also comes through and the soup has a good depth to it,” and “This was my favourite sample; it had a balance of creamy and tomato. Overall the flavour was consistent, with it properly herbed,” and lastly, “This has to be Woolies tomato soup. Creamy rich tomato flavour. Love!”

Cost: R59.99 for 600g

2 Food Lover’s 

Coming in second place was the sample from Food Lover’s, and while tasters all agreed the sample did indeed taste like good old tomato soup, some tasters felt it lacked that deep tomato flavour.

Some tasters also felt the sample could have been creamier and noted that although it was a good sample, it was quite acidic.

Comments some tasters left: “This is quite nice – there’s a delicious smokiness. But it could have more depth,” and “Very acidic. Lacked creamy depth,” and lastly, “It was quite acidic but it did taste like T soup.”

Cost: R49.99 for 600g

3 Pick n Pay

Most of the tasters picked on a smokiness in this sample, which for some was well received, while others found it to be more reminiscent of a BBQ sauce and noted that the smokiness overpowered the tomato flavour. Tasters also found this sample to be too acidic.

Comments some tasters left: “Didn’t get a strong tomato flavour. Almost tasted burnt or smoked,” and “It’s too acidic and overall has a watery consistency and flavour,” and “This sample has a smokiness to it which I quite like. Tasted like T soup, I would have just preferred it to be creamier.”

Cost: R59.99 for 600g

Prices correct at the time of publishing

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The rules of Food24 Taste Tests:

– All tasters tasted and scored all samples. Each individual taster’s preference impacts the score they give.

– The samples were tested without packaging and were not easily identifiable.

– The samples were not labelled and were tasted in random order.

– This article is not sponsored in any way, and Food24 was not paid to come to any particular result.

Our taste tests are always unbiased and intended for your information. You may, however, have come to this article through various paid-for advertising.