Zoup White Chicken Chili Soup Review
Author’s note: As always, this is not a paid or sponsored review. These are my own weird little opinions. I have no affiliation with Zoup! or Publix.
Hope springs eternal. And sometimes it has beans.
I’ve already said I don’t love canned soups. But, hope springs eternal? I bought this Zoup! at a wicked-good BOGO Publix sale. I had to. It’s made with bone broth! Here’s what I thought of the White Chicken Chili version:
I like the thickness of this soup. While it’s thinner than chili, it’s got a rich viscosity that feels satisfying. Most of the thickness seems to be from the bean liquid, although some is from the obnoxious antics of corn starch. The broth is silky smooth, rather than chunky. I appreciate the added chicken fat, for better mouthfeel.
(Curious how this compares to Rao’s jarred soup? Check out my review of their Chicken & Gnocchi Soup.)
Speaking of beans, there are a lot of beans. Big beans. Soft beans. And pleasantly crunchy corn kernels. I really loved the texture contrast here. There are also many small, soft squares of green chili peppers and onions.
(Love beans, but wanna make your own soup? Here’s my review of Aldi’s 16 Bean Soup Mix.)
While this is “chili” soup, it’s not terribly hot. It DOES have a sly spiciness that develops gradually. It became palpable about half-way through my bowl. By the end of my meal, I could feel it on the roof of my mouth and in my tongue.
The flavor is strange, tho. I am struggling to put it in words. It’s definitely a “southwest” vibe, but with an odd aftertaste. It tastes like cumin and peppers. But there’s something unsettling in there, too. Weirdly tart taste. Not sure if my jar was “off” or what.
I neither love nor hate the chicken texture. It’s not as processed as some brands. But it’s definitely not exciting meat, either. It’s sort of shredded and cooked into oblivion. Like the teeny bits of meat you strain out of your homemade bone broth and throw away because they’ve stewed far too long to have much meat identity left. It has that “dead” taste. And it’s a dark, burnt-brown color. There’s not enough meat here to really upset me, tho.
Heating the soup
I opted to heat mine in a small stainless steel pot on the stove. The soup is thicccc, so it needs to be stirred often while heating. If you eat the entire jar, this is absolutely a hearty and filling meal.
Ingredients in Zoup White Chicken Chili Soup
Here are the ingredients from the label:
- Chicken Bone Broth
- Cannellini Beans
- Onion
- Chili Peppers
- Corn
- Chicken
- Celery
- Corn Starch
- Tomato Paste
- Lentils
- Chicken Fat
- Spice
- Yeast Extract
- Salt
- Sugar
- Natural Flavor
- Chicken Flavor
- Turmeric
- Garlic
This is pretty decent ingredient list. I love that it is made with real bone broth and chicken fat, instead of obnoxious canola or soybean oil. I’m disappointed that added flavors were necessary. Soup should taste good just from the food ingredients in it. Hmmph!
More information from the label:
- No artificial ingredients
- No preservatives
- Gluten Free
Nutrition Facts
A serving of 1 cup (slightly more than 1/2 the jar) contains a meager 130 calories. You get 4 grams of fat (1 gram saturated fat) and 10 grams of protein. There are 20 grams total carbohydrates, of which 4 grams are fiber and 2 grams are sugar (0 grams “added sugar”). There’s 28% your daily value sodium and 7% your daily value cholesterol per serving. You also get 6% your daily value iron and 10% your daily value potassium.
Price and Servings
Zoup is not for the faint of wallet. This is the most spendy canned soup I’ve seen at my local Publix. Yes, it’s more expensive than Rao’s! At the regular price, it costs $5.99 for a 16 ounce jar. Since I got mine BOGO, it was only $3.
While the label provides nutrition facts for 1 cup of soup, a serving is actually the entire 16 ounce jar. And I absolutely ate the entire jar, because ain’t no way 130 calories is a whole meal. What’s wrong with people.
Shelf Life
The “best by” date on my jar allowed approximately 14 months to consume. This is a shelf-stable product, and not refrigerated.
Dramatic Conclusion
In conclusion, this Zoup soup is more natural tasting that most canned soups I’ve tried. I appreciate the bone broth and quality ingredients. It has pretty good textures, minus the chicken. If you like mild-to-moderate heat, you will enjoy the spice level. I ate all of mine, but the odd aftertaste annoyed me.
With the steep price tag, I’m not sure I would buy this again. Unless it was on sale. And I really needed soup.
The Awesome-o-Meter rates Zoup White Chicken Chili a “Maybe.”
The End.
“Hope springs eternal in the human breast;
Man never Is, but always To be blest.
The soul, uneasy, and confin’d from home,
Rests and expatiates in a life to come.”
― Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man
More Reviews You Might Like (or Hate)
Check out these other reviews I’ve written. Or don’t. Maybe you don’t like my flavor, either:
