It wouldn’t be a review of canned and boxed soups to eat while sick without Amy’s iconic No-Chicken Noodle Soup.

One of the very first soups in Amy’s line of canned soups, No Chicken Noodle has long been a vegan fave and has legions of fans. There’s also a few who vehemently don’t like this – for reasons I’ll go into. But if you’re vegan, you should definitely try this one and make up your mind for yourself.

Like all Amy’s Kitchen soups, this comes in a BPA-free can with a handy pop-top lid. No water needed – just shake, pour, heat, and eat!

I’m always a little disappointed in the broth when I take that first spoonful. It has a strong onion base that just doesn’t taste like what I remember my mom’s chicken noodle soup – or even Campbell’s chicken noodle soup – tasting like. (Note: If you strongly dislike onions, you will not like this soup.)

However, the broth is not bad – just never what I’m expecting. Once I move past that first spoonful and accept the broth for what it is, I find plenty of things to like about the soup. It’s loaded with noodles. The noodles are a little mushy – hey, it’s a canned soup! – but overall hold up fairly well. (Texture is better if you heat on a stovetop rather than in a microwave.) There’s plenty of discernible diced carrots that are also fairly firm.

There’s also lots of chunks of chewy tofu standing in for the chicken. The tofu is the other reason some people don’t like this soup – from the label “No Chicken Noodle” they assume it is just a noodle soup, not a soup with “faux” chicken. Personally, I don’t think the “chicken” is realistic enough to fool anyone, but it does add a great chewy texture and 10 grams of protein to the can (one bowl of soup).

It’s also to easy to punch the soup if you want more flavor. Freshly ground black pepper is a necessity. If you like, you can add a pinch of dried parsley flakes or garnish with fresh parsley. My favorite is to add a few drops of Tabasco. It’s awesome if you have a cold or springtime allergies with lots of congestion! (Be smart, though, skip the Tabasco if your throat is sore.)

Nutritionally, this is not too bad for a processed product. (Warning: There is a lot of sodium, as in most canned soups, and unfortunately Amy’s does not have a Light in Sodium version … yet. But isn’t chicken noodle soup supposed to be salty?)

For one serving (half a can, or a cup of soup) you get 100 calories, mostly organic ingredients, 30% DV of Vitamin A and 10% Vitamin C, plus some calcium and iron. Remember one can has two servings, so if you’re sick you’re probably just going to eat a whole bowl (can) of No Chicken Noodle Soup, rather than pair a cup of soup with a hefty sandwich or huge salad. So remember to double the nutrition info.

Tip:  I like to pair a bowl of this soup with an apple and nut butter for dessert.

Like most Amy’s soups, these retail at roughly $3.50, but there are frequent sales of 2/$5 or 2/$4. You can also find online at Thrive and Amazon for (as of the time I’m writing this) $2.19.

If you are feeling healthy and up to cooking your own vegan chicken noodle soup, here’s my Chicken Noodle Soup for the Vegan Soul recipe!