Trader Joe’s is a popular American grocery store chain known for its diverse array of unique, high-quality foods and beverages at affordable prices. Their product selection includes many ready-to-eat prepared foods, frozen items, snacks, and ingredients for cooking and baking. One item that Trader Joe’s shoppers often look for is French onion soup, a classic French soup made with sweet onions, beef broth, toasted bread, and melted cheese. But does Trader Joe’s actually sell their own pre-made French onion soup that you can purchase and heat up at home? Let’s take a closer look at whether this delicious soup can be found on Trader Joe’s shelves.
About French Onion Soup
French onion soup originated in France, dating back to at least the 18th century. It emerged as a way to utilize the large quantities of onions harvested in France and soon became a beloved staple in French cuisine. The soup is known for its deep, rich flavor profile brought on by slowly caramelizing onions in butter or oil for a long period of time. This cooking process brings out the natural sugars in the onions, creating a sweet, jam-like onion base for the soup. The caramelized onions are then combined with a flavorful, beef-based broth and often a splash of sherry or white wine. The soup is topped with a slice of toasted or grilled bread and melted cheese like Comté, Gruyère, Emmental or mozzarella added at the end. This final touch creates the iconic bread and cheese crust that completes the French onion soup. The melted cheese perfectly complements the sweet, delicate onions. It’s a simple soup but requires some time and technique to perfect the sweet onion flavors.
Trader Joe’s Soup Selection
Trader Joe’s sells a wide variety of soups in their frozen food section. Their soup options range from chicken noodle to tomato bisque to loaded baked potato. They offer unique, specialty soups like butternut squash sage soup and African peanut lentil soup. Trader Joe’s is also known for their own brand of soups sold under the Trader Joe’s label which are generally very affordable. Their soup selection changes seasonally, with more hearty, warming soups offered in the colder months. In terms of French onion soup specifically, here are some of the onion soup options that can be found at Trader Joe’s:
| Soup Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Trader Giotto’s French Onion Soup | Trader Joe’s branded French onion soup made with caramelized onions, beef and chicken broth, white wine, and herbs. Sold frozen in individual portions. |
| Onion Soup Mix | Dried onion soup mix packet that can be prepared with water and onions. |
| French Onion Macaroni & Cheese | A twist on classic macaroni and cheese made with a French onion soup-flavored cheese sauce. |
| French Onion Chicken Salad | Chicken salad containing caramelized onions and onion soup mix. |
The main French onion soup option sold at Trader Joe’s is their Trader Giotto’s French Onion Soup. Trader Giotto’s is one of Trader Joe’s brands used for some of their prepared frozen foods like pizzas and soup. Their French onion soup is sold in the frozen section in single serving microwavable cups. Each cup contains a portion of piping hot soup made with savory caramelized onions, a blend of beef and chicken broth, white wine for acidity, and herbs. The soup comes topped with croutons and melted cheese. Customers simply need to remove the film cover, microwave for a few minutes, and the French onion soup is ready to eat. It’s the closest option you’ll find to restaurant-style French onion soup that just needs quick reheating rather than preparing from scratch. The Trader Giotto’s soup saves home cooks a lot of time and effort while still offering an authentic, quality French onion soup option. It averages 4 out of 5 stars in customer ratings, with positive reviews on the rich onion flavor and the convenience of being able to make one serving at a time. At around $3.50 per microwavable cup, it’s reasonably priced, especially compared to ordering French onion soup at a restaurant.
In addition to the fully prepared soup cups, Trader Joe’s also sells an onion soup mix packet under their own brand which could be used to make French onion soup at home. The packet contains a dry blend of dehydrated onions, seasonings, beef bouillon powder, and natural flavors. To make a basic onion soup, you combine the packet with 4 cups of water and 1 cup of chopped onions. The mix helps create an onion-flavored broth base. However, making authentic French onion soup would require cooking down fresh onions into a caramelized base first before adding the onion soup mix packet. The packet skips the crucial onion caramelizing step that gives French onion soup its distinct sweet and savory depth. While convenient, using just the mix won’t quite replicate true French onion soup. The Trader Joe’s onion soup mix costs around $1.69 per 1.9 oz packet.
Two other options incorporating French onion soup flavors are the frozen French Onion Macaroni & Cheese and the refrigerated French Onion Chicken Salad. The mac and cheese combines an onion soup-inspired cheese sauce with elbow pasta and crispy onions on top. The chicken salad features chicken, onions, celery, onion soup mix, parsley, tarragon, and mayonnaise. While both contain onion soup components, they aren’t true French onion soups.
Are There Any Alternatives Places to Buy French Onion Soup?
For customers specifically seeking high-quality, pre-made French onion soup outside of Trader Joe’s, here are some alternative places to consider purchasing it:
- Grocery store deli sections – Many grocery store chains like Kroger, Publix, Safeway, etc. sell fresh French onion soup by the cup or bowl in their deli department hot food bars.
- Whole Foods Market – Select Whole Foods locations sell ready-to-eat vegetarian French onion soup as part of their prepared foods selection.
- Costco – Some Costco warehouse stores offer huge 64 oz containers of Kirkland Signature French onion soup that can be portioned out into individual servings.
- Williams-Sonoma – This upscale cookware chain sells containers of frozen French onion soup ready to heat and eat.
- Amazon – Numerous brands of frozen French onion soup are available on Amazon, able to be shipped directly to your home.
- Restaurant takeout – Many restaurants feature French onion soup on their menus, available for takeout to enjoy at home.
If you want to skip the pre-made options and make French onion soup entirely from scratch, most grocery stores sell the necessary ingredients. Yellow, white, or red onions caramelize beautifully into the sweet, golden base. Beef and/or chicken broth can be purchased or made fresh. A French bread baguette can be sliced and toasted for the topping. And Gruyère or a meltable Swiss cheese will give you the perfect molten topping. With a few core ingredients and some active time in the kitchen, truly authentic French onion soup can be created at home.
Conclusion
At Trader Joe’s, the frozen Trader Giotto’s French Onion Soup provides a solid prepared version of classic French onion soup. The microwavable cups offer convenience while still delivering quality, homemade flavor. An onion soup mix packet can also be purchased but won’t replicate the depth of flavor from slowly caramelized onions. While Trader Joe’s doesn’t have an extensive selection of French onion soups on its shelves, the Trader Giotto’s option they do offer is delicious and affordable. Customers looking for additional pre-made varieties can also find French onion soup at many grocery store deli counters, specialty food stores like Whole Foods or Williams-Sonoma, online retailers like Amazon, or takeout from restaurants. With Trader Joe’s quick frozen cups or a few pantry staples, you can enjoy restaurant-caliber French onion soup from the comfort of your home.