If you’ve seen Rao’s soup on the shelf, you’ve probably been intrigued. Sold in tall, elegant glass jars, they instantly set themselves apart from the other canned soups at the grocery store. And while they aren’t outlandishly expensive, they do cost nearly double the price of their canned compatriots. So, you better make sure you’re actually going to enjoy a jar of Rao’s soup before picking it over any canned soup.
And that’s where the Sporked taste testers come in. We tasted 13 different Rao’s soup flavors, including Rao’s Italian Wedding soup, Rao’s Chicken Noodle soup, and Rao’s Tomato Basil soup. We judged them on flavor. We judged them on uniqueness. And we judged them on quality of ingredients.
Tuck your napkin into your shirt and grab your trusty soup spoon, it’s time for the official Sporked Rao’s soup review. Here are the six best Rao’s soup flavors that are actually worth $4 a pop. (And if you’re interested in finding the best Rao’s sauce or the best Rao’s frozen meal, we ranked those, too.)
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- Rao’s Butternut Squash
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As I write this, the weather is finally turning chilly. I’ve got a sweater on and I’m considering breaking out the winter bedsheets. And I’m craving a mugful of this fall-appropriate Rao’s soup. It’s creamy and sweet and savory. And, since that’s all it is, you can easily sip it straight. But if you want a super-filling soup, you’re going to need to add something to the mix. Some crumbled hazelnuts and raw apple chunks would be lovely. Or some sausage crumbles and shaved Brussels sprouts. It’s not the best Rao’s soup but it’s a good starting point or a cozy snacking soup.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Rao’s French Onion
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We recently ranked the best French onion soups and Rao’s version was way up there. It couldn’t quite beat out the amazing frozen French onion soup we ranked at number one, but it was, by far, the best jarred/canned French onion soup we tried. The caramelized onions are sweet and tender. And the broth has real depth—like there’s a touch of sherry or sherry vinegar at the finish. While this Rao’s soup has a hint of that “jarred” flavor, it’s nothing some melted cheese couldn’t fix.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Rao’s Chicken Noodle
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We ranked this Rao’s soup as the number one best chicken noodle soup for good reason: It’s so fatty. The broth is a schmaltzy flavor bomb. It’s rich and cozy—like slurping down a salty hug. And the noodles are good, too. So often the noodles in chicken noodle soup immediately turn into mush. But these are thick and they stay relatively firm—you can actually chew them. Really, though, this soup is all about the broth.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Rao’s Sausage & Potato
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This Rao’s soup is a rib-sticking soup. Filled with silky little potato cubes, sausage crumbles, and beans, it’s a real meal. Even though it’s not pureed, it has a creamy texture. And the flavor is purely savory with a touch of fennel, thanks to the sausage. Unlike many of the other soups on this list, you don’t see this flavor on grocery shelves. It’s a unique offering from Rao’s and it’s executed really well—so well it ranks second on our list of the best potato soup. If you’re looking for a filling desk lunch, this is the best Rao’s soup flavor for you.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Rao’s Pasta & Fagioli
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This Rao’s soup is bland in the best way possible. The pasta and the beans are soft and filling and make me think of something a fairytale orphan might enjoy. The broth is just savory enough without being salty. It all comes together to taste super homemade—but, like, homemade by someone who knows what they’re doing. This is comfort food in the most classic sense of the phrase.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Rao’s Creamy Tomato
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We had high expectations for Rao’s Creamy Tomato soup. After all, it’s the closest any of these soups come to being Rao’s rightfully famous marinara sauce. And this soup did its saucy sibling proud. It is creamy but it has a slightly chunky texture that differentiates it from tomato sauce. And it’s not just tomato. There’s a cheesy flavor, too. And it’s delicious. It’s umami on top of umami. It may be simple, but it’s totally satisfying on its own. That said, I wouldn’t mind a triangle-cut grilled cheese sandwich to dip into it. Do not get this mixed up with Rao’s Tomato Basil soup. That one has a weird fake basil flavor, whereas this is the best Rao’s soup flavor. There’s a big difference.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
Best for Doctoring Up
Best with Cheese
Best Comforting
Best Filling
Best Pasta Soup
Best of the Best
Other Rao’s soup flavors we tried: Rao’s Vegetable Minestrone, Rao’s Italian Wedding, Rao’s Chicken Gnocchi, Rao’s Lentil, Rao’s Chicken & Orzo, Rao’s Tortellini & Vegetable, Rao’s Tuscan Style Beef, Rao’s Tomato Basil
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!