I tried fresh soups from Asda, M&S, Tesco, Morrisons, Aldi, Sainsbury's and Lidl to see how they compared in terms of price, ingredients, flavour, nutritional content and shelf life
06:47, 23 Oct 2025
As the colder weather rolls in, many of us find ourselves nursing colds and flu bugs.
One of the best cure-alls (aside from a nice cup of tea) is a bowl of freshly-made chicken soup.
If you haven't got anyone at home to make it for you then a carton from the fridge section of the supermarket is probably the next best thing.
Covent Garden soups are often the go-to but they are considerably more expensive than own-brand versions.
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So I decided to buy fresh soups from Asda, Tesco, M&S, Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury's and Morrisons to see how they compared in terms of price, ingredients, flavour, nutritional content and shelf life. Here's what I found.
READ MORE: The difference between supermarket chicken soups - in picturesCovent Garden Classic Chicken Soup
Covent Garden Classic Chicken Soup costs £2.35 for a 560g carton from Sainsbury's, which works out to 42p per 100g.
This had a shelf life of 18 days and was made with water, potato (20%), onion, chicken (5%) single cream (4%), roast chicken stock, cornflour, salted butter, garlic puree, salt and black pepper.
One portion (half a carton) contained 143 calories, 4g of saturated fat, 1.6g of sugars, 0.4g of fibre, 5.5g of protein and 1.39g of salt.
It's described as a comforting cuddle but I didn't get that vibe.
It was really thick, solid and gloopy in the carton as I poured it into a jug to pop in the microwave. You can cook it in the carton but I only wanted half.
The soup then went quite runny upon cooking but it still had a creamy texture. I found it contained little bits of chicken rather than big chunks and it lacked flavour.
To be honest, I didn't think it tasted any different to a regular tin of Aldi chicken soup, which would have been £1.72 cheaper, so I wouldn't bother again. Disappointing. I gave it 2 out of 5 stars.
Tesco Chicken and Vegetable Soup
Tesco Chicken and Vegetable Soup costs £1.85 for a 600g tub, which works out to 31p per 100g.
This had a 12-day shelf life (the shortest of all the soups) and is made with chicken stock, carrot, onion, swede, celery, peas, potato and parsnip, cooked chicken breast (6%), single cream, potato starch, garlic puree, salt, thyme, rosemary, white pepper, it says it is made using Thai chicken.
It says it is high in protein with 9.3g per half pot and 1.5g fibre together with 120 calories, 1.5g saturated fat, 1.8g sugars and 1.68g salt.
This was a gorgeous yellow colour, like autumn in a bowl! And it tasted just as great as it looked.
The soup was hearty with a nice lightly-spiced kick, big chunks of carrot and peas and tasty chunks of chicken.
It tasted well seasoned but it just seemed wrong to eat soup without a sprinkling of black pepper so I added some and it tasted even better. It felt nurturing and I'd definitely buy it again. I gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Morrisons Chicken Vegetable Broth
Morrisons Chicken Vegetable Broth costs £1.85 for 600g, which works out to 31p per 100g.
This had a 19-day shelf life and is made from water, carrot (14%), potato (6%), chicken thigh (5%), onion (5%), pearl barley (2%), leek, cornflour, savoy cabbage, spinach, peas (2%), celery, yeast extract, salt, parsley, chicken fat, garlic purée, maltodextrin, flavouring, chicken stock, black pepper, onion powder, bay leaf, preservative (citric acid), nutmeg extract, sunflower oil and turmeric.
It contained 121 calories, 0.6g saturated fat, 2.7g sugars, 2.4g fibre, 6g protein and 1.4g salt per half carton.
This was described as a broth rather than a soup. It was darker in colour and had a shiny viscosity to it.
It was very hearty, packed with savoy cabbage and spinach together with carrots and peas. The chicken was really tender and flavoursome, even if there wasn't too much of it.
It was quite oniony, probably thanks to the 5% onions together with leek and celery.
Overall, I enjoyed this one but I wouldn't rush to buy it again. I gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Sainsbury's Chicken Vegetable Broth
Sainsbury's Chicken Vegetable Broth costs £1.49 for 600g, which works out to 25p per 100g, making it price-matched to Aldi.
This had a 23-day shelf life and was made with water, carrot (8%), onion, swede (6%), British chicken (6%), leek (5%), cornflour, celery, kale (1.5%), chicken stock, yeast extract, chicken fat, rapeseed oil, chicken fat, salt, garlic purée, thyme leaves, black pepper and dried sage.
It contained 121 calories, 1.16 saturated fat, 3.6g sugars, 1.7g fibre, 7.4g protein and 1.59g salt per half carton.
As the name suggested, this was more broth-like, darker in colour and clearer in consistency than some of the others
It was loaded with chunky vegetables - carrots, cabbage, leeks and swede - but the chicken was quite stringy. Whilst there was chicken in every mouthful, there weren't any satisfying chunks.
It was tasty but not one I'd rush to eat again. I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.
Lidl Creamy Chicken Soup
Lidl Creamy Chicken Soup costs £1.59 for 600g, which works out to 27p per 100g.
This had a 22-day shelf life and was made with water, potato, onion, cooked chicken (5%), cream (4%), roast chicken stock, cornflour, butter, parsley, salt, garlic puree, sage and black pepper.
It contained 161 calories, 3.6g saturated fat, 2.7g sugars, 1.8g fibre, 7.2g protein and 1.68g salt per half carton.
This was really gloopy in the carton but it became much thinner once cooked - a bit like the Covent Garden one.
I liked the fresh herbs and it had a nourishing flavour but there were only a few chunks of chicken which was a bit disappointing. I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.
Aldi Creamy Chicken Soup
Aldi Creamy Chicken Soup costs £1.49 for 600g, which works out to 25p per 100g.
This had a 21-day shelf life and was made with water, potato, onion, cooked chicken (6%), single cream (4%), chicken stock, cornflour, salted butter, parsley, garlic puree, salt and black pepper.
It contained 154 calories, 5.3g saturated fat, 2.3g sugars, 2.7g fibre, 7.4g protein and 1.58g salt per half carton.
This was delicious and fresh flavoured, packed with herbs. I was surprised by just how many chunks of chicken were in each spoonful and they were really tender.
It made for a filling soup that felt more like a meal than a quick lunch. It would be good enough to turn into a pie by just adding some extra vegetables and topping with pastry or mash for a quick and easy, budget family meal.
The soup was really creamy and hearty without being sickly. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.
M&S Chunky Country Vegetable Soup
M&S Chunky Country Vegetable Soup costs £2.75 for 600g, which works out to 46p per 100g.
This had a 14-day shelf life and was made with vegetable stock, potatoes, carrots (12%), savoy cabbage, onions, parsnips (4%), swede (4%), peas (2.5%), double cream, leeks (2%), cornflour, rapeseed oil, salt, parsley and ground black pepper.
It contained 120 calories, 1.8g saturated fat, 6.6g sugars, 3.3g fibre, 2.7g protein and 1.74g salt per half carton.
There weren't any chicken soup options available in store on the day I visited M&S so I went for the veggie one instead.
It looked delicious (as most M&S food and packaging does) and I thought it would be loaded with flavour as it was all about the veggies.
Sadly, I was mistaken. By 'chunky', M&S meant large pieces of potato - and lots of them. Where were the leaks, swede and parsnips M&S? All I could taste and see was potato, carrot and peas.
I didn't like the texture and wouldn't bother again. Even with added black pepper, it was bland and disappointing. I gave it 1 out of 5 stars.
Asda Chicken and Vegetable Soup
Asda Chicken and Vegetable Soup costs £1.93 for 600g, which works out to 32p per 100g.
This had a 17-day shelf life and was made with water, carrots (9%), potatoes, onions, savoy cabbage (7%), swede (6%), chicken thigh (6%), leek (4%), single cream, pearl barley, seasoned chicken stock, cornflour, rapeseed oil, yeast extract, chicken fat, parsley, thyme, garlic puree, salt, black pepper, turmeric, antioxidant (extracts of rosemary).
It contained 180 calories, 2.1g saturated fat, 4.8g sugars, 2.1g fibre, 8.1g protein and 1.6g salt per half carton.
I loved the inclusion of pearl barley, which added an extra bite and unusual texture to this soup that wasn't present in the others.
It was hearty, rich and creamy, packed with flavour. There wasn't lots of chicken but that didn't matter because the vegetables were so flavoursome.
It was just the right mix of smooth and chunky. I really liked it and would definitely buy it again. 4 out of 5 stars.
Overall verdict
I was surprised to find I liked three of the supermarket own brand soups much more than the Covent Garden one.
They were the Asda, Tesco and Aldi soups.
My favourite would probably be the Aldi one because it offered such great value for money, was really creamy and contained so much chicken but I'd be keen to buy the other two again too.