Testing the best store-bought chicken broth brands. Who comes out on top? This post is sponsored by Zoup!
So you may have heard a little rumor that my next cookbook is going to be all about ketogenic soups and stews. And I am going to confirm that this is absolutely true. I am not ready to fully announce it just yet but it will be coming out in mid-November, just in time for comfort food season.
Over the past 5 months, I’ve been making a lot of low carb soup recipes. Which means that I have been going through a lot of broth. And by a lot, I mean I could probably fill a swimming pool with the amount of broth I’ve used over the past few months. I couldn’t possibly keep up with my own homemade broth at the rate I am going, so I have had to rely on a great deal of store bought broth. As you might imagine, I’ve gotten to know my store bought broth really, really well.
Let me just state for the record that not all chicken broths are created equal. I see you rolling your eyes and mouthing “well, d’uh!”. Okay so I am stating the obvious but it can be quite surprising to discover that chicken broth varies a great deal brand to brand, in flavor, in healthfulness, and in the final results of your soup. Think of the broth as the foundation of your soup. If you start with a mediocre broth, the resulting soup won’t be as flavorful. You can always add more ingredients to amp up the flavor but you really shouldn’t have to work that hard.
So when Zoup!Good, Really Good™Broth reached out and asked me to do a chicken broth taste test, I couldn’t help but say yes. It sounded like fun and I figured I would get my kids involved too. I already knew I liked the Zoup! brand as it was; enough to mention it as a great storebought option in Easy Keto Dinners.
Now, for full disclosure, this post is sponsored, which means that in addition to supplying me with copious amounts of broth, Zoup! is also paying me to write this post. So I had to work hard here to make sure I was being as unbiased as possible. I enlisted the help of my daughters and had them test me in a true blind taste test. In fact, I even left the room so I couldn’t tell what kind of container they were pouring the broth from. I kept eyes and ears closed and just came back into the room when they were ready for me. And then I did the exact same to them. We were all blindfolded so we couldn’t see the color of the broth as we sipped it.
Chicken Broth Taste Test Results
- Zoup!
- Swanson
- Imagine
- Kitchen Basics
- Pacific Foods
Zoup! Good, Really Good™ Chicken Broth was a pretty clear winner for all of us. One of my daughters liked it and Imagine about the same but I chose Zoup! hands down and so did my other daughter. We both chose Swanson as the second place chicken broth. The others didn’t fare so well, to be honest. The flavor was ho-hum and it’s not something I would want to sip on its own. Whereas both my girls were asking for a cup of Zoup! broth to sip at for the rest of the day. Yep, I am serious.
So what makes Zoup! Chicken Broth so good? Turns out that a lot goes into making Good, Really Good™Broth.
- It’s cooked in kettles in small batches for premium flavor
- Completely free of added sugars
- It’s non-GMO
- Entirely gluten-free and paleo-friendly
- Totally zero carb
- Zoup! actually began as part of a chain of soup restaurants, and they wanted to bring restaurant quality broth to supermarkets. So they know their broth!
The same cannot be said for the other four brands. Without naming names, let me point out a few things. Two of the other brands actually contain added sugars and one of them can’t lay claim to non-GMO. And one of them is actually made from dehydrated chicken broth. Which stumps me. Why are you making chicken broth out of dehydrated chicken broth? Why not just make the chicken broth nice and fresh???
I’ve always been impressed with the Zoup! brand and now that I’ve dug in a little deeper and done direct comparisons, I can say I am even more so. It really is “good, really good chicken broth”.
You can find Zoup! Good, Really Good™ Broth nationwide at Albertsons, Costco, Tony’s Fine Foods, and Falls Price Chopper, Giant, Kroger, Gelson’s, Central Market, Fresh Thyme and Safeway, among many others. You can also contact [email protected] any questions.
Check out more about Zoup! on social media:Facebook, Instagramand Twitter
And check out the Zoup! websitefor a $1 off coupon.
Barbara says
Well, you missed one fabulous brand and that is TRADER Joe’s SAVORY BROTH REDUCED SODIUM LIQUID CONCENTRATE , it comes in a 4.06 oz pack with small 12 pouches . It makes 3 quarts of broth and costs under $4 total. It is such a good deal and it does not take much room in one’s pantry . I could not do without it . I just had a cup with collagen and brewers yeast-so good ! It also is very good tasting, by far the best I ever had !
I enjoy your cookbooks, Carolyn .
Carolyn says
Thanks, Barbara. I’ve never seen that version but I’ve bought the Trader Joe’s brand in the carton before and it’s pretty flavourless. I purchased it for my cookbook recipes and was so disappointed!
Erica says
According to fooducate.com, the “chicken flavor” version of this product contains added sugar, maltodextrin from corn, and yeast extract, which is a concern for those who avoid msg.
Erica says
And it’s 3 carbs per cup. (Referring to the Trader Joe’s concentrate mentioned above, not the Zoup broth!)
Barbara Schlatter says
3 carbs is very good .
IIt is just amazing and disappointing that Maltodextrin is added to many food items .
Carolyn says
None of these brands actually had maltodextrin, thank goodness! But several had added sugar.
Elizabeth says
Curious-have you ever tried the Kettle and Fire brand? Wondering how it would stack up, it keeps showing up in ads..
Carolyn says
I have tried it but it wasn’t part of this taste test. I believe that Zoup! is trying to stack up against the brands available in mosts grocery stores. And they truly did come out on top.
Dallas says
I’m so glad Swansons was on the list I have tried all others DO NOT LIKE THE TASTE.That said have never tried Zoop so I will for sure give them a try.
Camilla says
Ordered the Soup chicken broth and just heated some I I sip. This is DELICIOUS! It reminds me of the pan juices from roasted chicken. It’s a keeper. Thank you, Caroline!
Carolyn says
Yay, I am glad you like it. These things can sometimes be a matter of taste but I really do think that one has some of the best flavor just for sipping.