Seven soup standouts: we tested 31 store-bought soups, packaged in everything from cans to pouches to microwavable bowls. Is yours a winner for taste?(Product/Service Evaluation)

Easy preparation helps explain why soup is the top ready-to-serve main dish at dinner, according to a report on national eating patterns from the NPD Group, a marketing research firm based in Port Washington, N.Y. The fact that soup is typically low in fat, calories, and cost adds to its appeal.

Our trained tasters sampled 31 soups representing the variety of types you'll see in supermarkets: condensed, ready-to-serve, dry, and frozen. The soups came in cans (with and without pop-top lids), jars, pouches, and microwavable bowls and cups.We chose three of the top-selling flavors: vegetable/ minestrone, chicken noodle, and New England clam chowder.

In our ...