- Trader Joe’s soups are quick, comforting meals packed with nutrition, flavor and value for busy weeknights.
- Options like organic lentils and kale cauliflower chili provide plenty of protein, fiber, and veggies in every bowl.
- With smart additions like frozen vegetables, grains, or cheese, these soups easily transform into balanced, comforting, home-style dinners.
From fresh flowers to frozen gnocchi to the best store-bought pizza dough I’ve ever tasted, Trader Joe’s truly has all of my favorites. And when I’m craving something comforting, nutritious, and as easy as possible for a quick weeknight dinner, I make sure to stock up on their soup. As a foodie and nutritionist, I completely understand why Trader Joe’s shelf-stable and refrigerated soup selection has achieved cult status. Fun and filling flavors? Check. First-class nutrition? Check. Effortless and budget-friendly? Check and check.
Soup can be an incredible way to eat more vegetables, improve hydration, and avoid skipping meals when you’re in a rush. And the possibility of warming it up directly in the bowl and thus saving on the dishes? Every season should be soup season.
When it comes to value, you really can’t go wrong, as Trader Joe’s Best Soups range from $0.87 to $1.66 per serving. To see how they stack up, I dug deep into taste, ingredients, nutrition, and versatility, and spoke to other nutritionists to rank the top picks.
Best Overall: Organic Lentil Vegetable Soup
If you’ve ever felt that canned foods provide subpar nutritional value, TJ’s Organic Lentil Vegetable Soup will change your mind. Made with simple organic ingredients like lentils, vegetables and spices, each cup contains 12 grams of protein, 9 grams of fiber and 20% of the Daily Value (DV) of iron. As it is, it is vegan and gluten-free, but you can also quickly refine it with croutons or grated Parmesan.
“When I need a super simple meal, I just eat the whole can, which contains 21 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber,” he says Sarah Alsing, MS, RD. And if time isn’t a big hurdle (and you eat meat), Alsing recommends adding some diced chicken for a quick protein boost.
Most vegetarian: Kale and cauliflower chili
TJ’s Kale & Cauliflower Chili warms you from the inside out with a hearty combination of spiced tomato puree, cauliflower, kale and white beans, infused with jalapeno and Hatch chili powder. This flavorful vegan soup is shelf-stable and nutrient-dense, with 6 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein, and 15% of the DV for iron and potassium.
And if you’re one of the 90 percent of Americans who don’t eat the recommended two to three cups of vegetables, you can easily sneak them in with this soup. Enjoy a bowl with a sandwich or salad, or turn it into a full meal by adding cooked ground turkey or meatless crumbles for a protein boost.
Best Season: Autumn Harvest Soup
Fall flavors don’t start and end with apple cinnamon and pumpkin spice. TJ’s Autumnal Harvest Soup is packed with delicious tomatoes, pumpkin, butternut squash and carrots, infused with earthy sage and rosemary. Each cup contains an impressive 4 grams of fiber and provides 10% of the recommended DV for potassium.
While the sodium content is higher (something to keep in mind when watching your intake), Patricia Kolesa, MS, RDNhas a clever workaround: “Adding frozen vegetables like spinach and peas can be a great way to increase the fiber and potassium content of the soup,” says Kolesa. Not only does this improve nutrition, but it can also help reduce the effect of sodium on blood pressure.
Best as a base: soup made from organic tomatoes and roasted red peppers
Making the right soup base quickly is no easy task, but this tomato and roasted red pepper soup makes it easy. It’s velvety smooth and creamy and the roasted red pepper and tomato are the right combination of sweet and savory. As for the nutritional boost? You’ll get 4 grams of fiber and 10% of the daily value of potassium in each cup, as well as a hit of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant found in abundance in cooked tomatoes.
“For an easy, balanced meal that my kids will eat, I combine Trader Joe’s Organic Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup, Trader Joe’s Spinach Tortellini, and a few handfuls of baby spinach,” he says Sheri Gaw, RDN, CDCES.
Best for sick days: kettle-cooked chicken soup
When I’m feeling down, there’s nothing better than a bowl of hot chicken soup. However, making this soup is usually the last thing I want to do. The Kettle Cooked Chicken Soup from Trader Joe’s comes straight from the refrigerated section and tastes like it’s homemade. It’s made with chicken broth, fresh vegetables, spices, and chicken pieces and provides 13 grams of protein in every cup.
While I enjoy it on its own on sick days, it can easily be dressed up with cooked whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, or a handful of frozen peas and spinach.
The conclusion
Trader Joe’s soups are the weeknight dinner hack you didn’t know you needed. Whether you need a dish that you can simply heat up and eat, or just a quick solution to save time, money and energy at home while preparing a balanced meal, there’s a soup to suit your needs. And while you’re stocking up on soup, be sure to grab frozen vegetables, whole grains, pre-cooked proteins, and simple sides like croutons or Parmesan cheese to turn your TJ’s soup into a balanced, gourmet meal that everyone will love.
