These Viral "Soup Drops" Are Stirring Up Tons Of Heated Opinions Online, So We Tried Them (And Have Thoughts)
Food stunts are so back. From the infamous Velveeta martini to Van Leeuwen's mac 'n' cheese ice cream, the past few years have been filled with some experimental (at best) food creations, and thanks to the beloved soup brand Progresso, 2025 is already off to a pretty kooky start. To be clear, I'm all for experimentation! But there's a line.
The line, according to some people on the internet, was likely crossed when Progresso announced their limited release of 'soup drops' earlier this year. If you're thinking (as I initially did) that these are soup drops, as in launches of new soup flavors, you would be wrong. So, so wrong. No, these are literally soup-flavored cough drops. Chicken noodle soup-flavored cough drops, to be exact.
The highly controversial soup drops quickly became a hot commodity online, with some social media users noticing that their limited stock, replenished every Thursday throughout the month of January, was often selling out in a matter of minutes. Now, the Soup Drop website reminds soup drop-seekers that they can still get a 'hot bowl of the real thing' wherever Progresso's canned soups are sold.
Ultimately, that might be a blessing in disguise. Initial reactions to the Soup Drop stunt were maybe not the best overall, though plenty of people were beyond stoked to try their hand at getting a can of these bad boys.
When the die-hard soup lovers are questioning things, you know you've really rocked the boat.
Even Jimmy Fallon featured the chicken noodle soup-flavored drops during a segment on The Tonight Show, and the audience response was...about what you'd imagine. Just imagine some pained groans and laughter from the audience.
After seeing countless reactions to the 'crime against food' hard candies all month long, I was deeply curious, extremely excited, but ultimately terrified to the core when my personal can of soup drops arrived in the mail. So naturally, I begged my equally-skeptical coworkers to try them with me so I wouldn't have to go it alone.
Ross Yoder
Note: BuzzFeed was sent a complimentary sample of this product, but we were under no obligation to provide a review.
Here's what we thought. First, let's get into what the heck's even in these things. 👇
Progresso's Soup Drops come in a cute little soup can-like canister. Each container packs in 20 individually wrapped drops.
The main ingredients of these drops are isomalt, a sugar substitute often used for decorative purposes, and salt. They also contain ingredients like cornstarch, MSG, and some actual chicken in cooked-and-powdered form.
Next, the aesthetics. They didn't look bad! Think of a cough drop-shaped Werther's caramel, flecked with little brown spots, and that's exactly what we were working with here.
Not bad at all!
But let's get into the taste, shall we? Ultimately, four of us were brave enough to suck on a Progresso Soup Drop, and let's just say no one lasted long. I wouldn't say they're unpalatable by any means, but they're…well, rough, to say the least.
👋 Hey you! If you're getting hungry for some really good soup recipes (in their classic format), take a quick minute to download the free Tasty app — where you can browse 7,500+ recipes and save your favorites.
Lauren bravely volunteered to try them first. Right off the bat, she remarked on the palpable "chicken broth" scent as she removed the soup drop from its cellophane wrapper.
But after she popped it into her mouth, the vibes turned pretty bad pretty fast. The wincing, coughing, and laughing seemed to suggest that it certainly wasn't enjoyable, but she didn't immediately spit it out, either.
To Lauren, it tasted like gravy — "with a little sweetness to it," she added. "This is not a thing I could ever eat again, or continue to eat this. This is foul," she said as she spit the soup drop out.
All in all, she lasted 43 seconds before spitting the soup drop back into its wrapper.
Next up, Spencer. Immediately upon smelling the unwrapped drop, he noted that it smelled like a bouillon cube, which definitely makes sense, seeing as how bouillon cubes and these soup drops actually contain similar ingredients.
After tasting it, his immediate reaction was...this. But then he changed his tune, citing a very specific moment in which maybe this soup drop could be of value to your average soup-loving person.
...ultimately, he was lying. He took it all back, and was genuinely curious if these drops were a "real thing" or "April Fools' gimmick."
Ross Yoder
Spencer spit out the soup drop at the 55-second mark — a solid 12 seconds longer than Lauren.
For Meg, things started out OK! But everything went downhill from there.
Meg remarked that the intense savoriness was simply just unpleasant, and likened the flavor profile to powdered miso soup.
From first taste to "time to spit it out," Meg only lasted 30 seconds.
Finally, it was time for yours truly to get a taste of the product I so kindly forced upon my coworkers. Terrified, I popped the drop into my mouth and immediately tasted lots of sage — like classic boxed stuffing. But pretty immediately the flavor turned into something entirely unpleasant.
Ross Yoder
For me, I really tasted the MSG, which is delicious in so many contexts, but altogether offputting in the form of a solid cough drop. The whole thing was too dead center between salty and sweet, so it ultimately just tasted like...chicken. I love chicken! But not chicken candy.
Worse than the flavor of the soup drops, however, was the aftertaste. Meg and I both agreed that the sharp, slightly bitter aftertaste lingered around in our mouths for hours after our initial taste. No amount of water (or office fro-yo) could quell it.
Not to toot my own horn, but I lasted a solid 63 seconds before spitting it out.
So folks, there you have it. Though Progresso's soup drops are technically sold out now, should they ever decide to bring them back, the chaos of trying them might be worth attempting to snag some for yourself. After all, they're only $2.49 (plus tax). In this economy, I'll take it.
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