When the forecast calls for a cozy night in, I head to Food Lion with a soup pot in mind. These eight ingredients help turn that craving into a comforting batch of soup or stew.
Prices were checked at foodlion.com on October 31; they vary by store and change with each week’s ad.
1. Food Lion Fat Free Vegetable Broth – $1.59
Vegetarian soup night starts easily with this 32-ounce carton as the base for minestrone, lentil stew, or roasted tomato soup. It keeps the pot plant-based while leaving plenty of room for beans, vegetables, and seasonings.
Taste: The broth provides a light savory backbone rather than a heavy or creamy flavor. Its thin, pourable consistency suits soups that gain body from vegetables, lentils, or beans.
Make It Better: Let it simmer with a can of beans and diced tomatoes, then mash a small portion of the beans to thicken the broth naturally.
Parting Thoughts: Vegetable-soup regulars will get plenty of mileage from this straightforward pantry base.
2. Food Lion Beef Stew Seasoning Mix Packet – $1.19
When beef stew sounds right but measuring several seasonings does not, this 1.5-ounce packet keeps the stovetop work simple. It is made for the classic combination of meat, potatoes, carrots, and onions, making it handy for a low-fuss weekend pot.
Taste: The mix supplies concentrated savory seasoning that spreads through the cooking liquid as the stew simmers. That liquid becomes more cohesive and coats the tender meat and vegetables rather than tasting like plain broth.
Make It Better: Brown the stew meat first, simmer it for an hour, and then add the vegetables so they do not turn overly soft.
Parting Thoughts: At $1.19, it earns its spot when convenience matters more than building a seasoning blend from scratch.
3. Food Lion Traditional Rotisserie Chicken (Hot Avail. 11am – 7pm) – $6.99
I pull apart this 28-ounce rotisserie chicken while it is still warm, then save the meat for chicken-and-rice or noodle soup. It is available hot from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; the store checked advertised it for $5.99 each through 11/3, though weekly offers vary by store.
Taste: The chicken is juicy and already well seasoned, so it gives a simple broth more character with little effort. Shredding creates soft, irregular pieces that feel more substantial than tiny uniform chunks.
Make It Better: Freeze leftover shredded meat in soup-size portions, then add it toward the end of a future simmer so it only needs to heat through.
Parting Thoughts: Busy cooks should find this worth the shortcut, especially when one chicken can stretch across more than one meal.
4. Food Lion Petite Diced Tomatoes – $0.98
Bright tomato-based pots benefit from these petite pieces, which can go straight into chili, vegetable soup, or stew. The 14.5-ounce can is especially useful when you want tomato throughout the bowl without stopping to chop.
Taste: The tomatoes bring gentle acidity and a lightly sweet tomato flavor that balances richer ingredients. Their small dice softens and disperses during simmering while still leaving a little texture behind.
Make It Better: Add the entire can to the pot and let it simmer long enough for the tomato flavor to meld with the broth and seasonings.
Parting Thoughts: For less than a dollar, this is an easy way to give a cozy pot color, body, and brightness.
5. Food Lion Cannellini Beans – $0.96
For a filling meatless dinner, these 15.5 ounces of cannellini beans turn minestrone or white bean stew into a more substantial bowl. They are also a natural addition to sausage-and-kale soup when dinner needs to stretch.
Taste: Cannellini beans have a mild flavor that takes on the character of the surrounding broth. They become creamy when simmered, yet whole beans still give each spoonful some soft structure.
Make It Better: Drain and rinse them, then mash a portion against the side of the pot for thickness without adding cream.
Parting Thoughts: Anyone who likes hearty soup on a modest grocery budget will appreciate how much work this little can does.
6. Food Lion Hot Italian Sausage – 5 ct – $3.99
Cold Sunday afternoons call for a bubbling sausage-and-kale soup, and this five-link package gives the pot a spicy foundation. Browning it on the stovetop before adding liquid builds a more flavorful base for an Italian-inspired stew.
Taste: Once browned and simmered, the sausage contributes noticeable heat and a rich savory flavor. Crumbling it creates browned bits that spread evenly through the broth instead of leaving one large piece per serving.
Make It Better: Remove the casings and crumble the sausage as it browns, then add beans for a fuller one-pot meal.
Parting Thoughts: Heat seekers get the best fit here; those sensitive to spice may prefer a milder sausage.
7. Food Lion Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup – $1.29
Creamy comfort gets a head start from this 10.5-ounce condensed soup, particularly in mushroom-barley stew or a beef stroganoff-style soup. Its concentrated consistency makes it useful when a thin broth needs quick richness and body.
Taste: The mushroom profile is earthy and savory, with a creamy character that softens sharper flavors in the pot. Once diluted and simmered, the dense concentrate loosens into a smooth, thick broth.
Make It Better: Whisk it with a little warm cooking liquid before stirring it into the pot; that helps it blend evenly instead of remaining in thick pockets.
Parting Thoughts: Keep this one in mind for nights when a silky, old-fashioned bowl sounds more appealing than a clear broth.
8. Better Than Bouillon Premium Roasted Chicken Base – $5.99
A spoonful of this roasted chicken base lets me build only as much broth as a soup or stew requires. The 8-ounce jar is particularly convenient for boosting chicken noodle soup or reviving a pot whose cooking liquid tastes flat.
Taste: Its roasted chicken flavor is robust and deeply savory, so a small amount carries through a full cup of water. The concentrated paste dissolves into the simmering liquid, leaving broth rather than a pasty texture.
Make It Better: Use one teaspoon per cup of water, then taste before adding more because the flavor is concentrated. Keep the jar refrigerated as directed by its storage requirements.
Parting Thoughts: This is the splurge of the group, but cooks who want adjustable broth strength may find the jar genuinely useful.
