The Cuisine Adventures French Onion Soup is a frozen 6-pack of individual French onion soups at Costco, each topped with Swiss cheese and croutons over a broth of slowly simmered onions. It is vegetarian, about 200 calories per bowl, and microwaves in roughly 5 minutes, which makes a cozy, bistro-style soup almost absurdly easy on a cold night. It lives in the freezer aisle, and a warm bowl of this next to a toasted Costco butter croissant is my idea of a perfect low-effort dinner. If you love a freezer soup, it keeps good company with the Boulder Organic White Chicken & Wild Rice Soup.
Quick Take: Cozy, bistro-style vegetarian French onion soup with real Swiss cheese and croutons, ready in about 5 minutes. Verdict: Buy. Scores: Taste ⅘ · Value ⅘ · Convenience 5/5 · Comfort Factor 5/5.
A bistro dinner from your freezer
French onion soup is one of those dishes that feels fancy and fussy to make from scratch, so having a genuinely good version in the freezer is a small luxury. These come in individual portions with the cheese and croutons already on top, so you heat one and it looks and tastes like something you would order out. For a busy weeknight or a quick lunch, pulling one of these out feels like a cheat code for a cozy meal.
How it actually tastes
The broth is rich, savory, and properly oniony, built on slowly simmered onions with real depth (not thin or watered down). The Swiss cheese melts into a gooey, golden layer and the croutons soak up the broth and go soft and bready, exactly the way good French onion soup should.
It tastes made-from-scratch, with no artificial flavors and no preservatives, which you can taste in how clean and real the onion flavor is. It is genuinely comforting.
The best way to heat it
You get a couple of options, and which you pick is a trade-off between speed and that signature browned cheese top:
- Conventional oven (recommended): 400°F for about 40 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown. This gives you the real deal, with a bubbly, browned top.
- Microwave (fast): heat on high for 3 minutes, stir, then heat 2 more minutes. Quick, but the cheese mixes into the soup rather than browning on top.
- Quicker combo method: microwave 3 minutes, sprinkle on a little extra shredded Swiss, then finish in a 400°F oven about 20 minutes for a browned top in less time.
My tip: if you have the time, the oven method is worth it for that classic browned, bubbly cheese. Use an ovenproof bowl, and a 10 oz bowl about 4 inches across works best. When you just need lunch fast, the microwave is totally fine.
What you'll pay
The 6-pack runs around $11.99 at Costco (item #169730), and it has been showing a savings-book discount of about $4 off (running late October into November). At regular price that is roughly $2 per individual soup, which is a strong deal. A single serving of French onion soup at a restaurant easily runs $8 to $12, so having six bistro-style bowls for around twelve bucks is excellent value for how good they are.
Nutrition breakdown
Nutrition snapshot (per 1 soup / 285g, 6 servings per box): 200 cal · 10g fat (5g saturated, 0g trans) · 25mg cholesterol · 740mg sodium · 18g carbs · 2g fiber · 5g sugar (1g added) · 12g protein. Notable: vegetarian, no artificial flavors or preservatives, 20% DV calcium, and a solid 12g protein per bowl. Contains milk, wheat, sesame, and soy.
At about 200 calories with 12 grams of protein, this is a reasonably light and satisfying soup. The sodium is high at 740mg, which is typical for a savory broth-based soup, so pair it with a fresh salad or lighter side if you are watching salt.
The vegetarian angle
One thing worth flagging: this is a vegetarian French onion soup, which is actually hard to find, since classic versions are usually made with beef broth. Cuisine Adventures builds the flavor from slowly simmered onions and yeast extract instead, so vegetarians can enjoy a proper French onion soup without the meat-based stock. That makes it a nice option to have on hand when you are cooking for a mixed crowd.
What other shoppers think
This soup has a loyal following at Costco, and the most common praise is how restaurant-quality and genuinely cozy it tastes for a frozen product. Shoppers love the real Swiss cheese top, the rich onion broth, and the individual portions.
The most common notes are the high sodium and that the oven method takes a while (though everyone agrees it is worth it for the browned cheese). A few people wish the croutons stayed crispier, but soft, broth-soaked croutons are traditional for French onion soup.
Who it's for (and who should skip)
This is for soup lovers, vegetarians, and anyone who wants a cozy, low-effort dinner or lunch. It shines on cold nights, busy weeknights, and as an easy starter when entertaining. Skip it if you have a milk, wheat, sesame, or soy allergy, if you are closely watching sodium, or if you only want a classic beef-broth French onion soup.
Make it a full meal
A bowl of this is lovely on its own, but it is easy to turn into a full dinner. Pair it with a crispy air fryer grilled cheese for the ultimate soup-and-sandwich night, add a cozy second soup like this Instant Pot butternut squash soup for a soup bar, or round out the table with a protein like these air fryer Trader Joe's turkey meatballs.
More cozy Costco comforts
- Ruprecht Irish Stew: another hearty, heat-and-eat comfort meal.
- Kirkland Signature Lasagna: a cozy freezer dinner for the family.
- Panera Bread Macaroni & Cheese: a creamy comfort-food pairing.
- Kirkland Signature Five Cheese Tortelloni: an easy pasta to round out the menu.
- 21 Best Healthy Costco Snacks for Kids: lighter picks to balance a cozy meal.
The ratings
- Taste: ⅘. Rich, oniony broth with real melted Swiss and soft croutons. Tastes made-from-scratch.
- Value: ⅘. About $2 a bowl for restaurant-style soup, and often on a savings-book discount.
- Convenience: 5/5. Individual portions, 5 minutes in the microwave or a browned top from the oven.
- Comfort Factor: 5/5. Pure cozy, perfect for cold nights.
Final word
An easy Buy and a freezer staple for soup season. This Cuisine Adventures French Onion Soup delivers a genuinely cozy, bistro-style bowl with real Swiss cheese and a rich onion broth, and the fact that it is vegetarian with no artificial flavors makes it even better.
The sodium is high and the oven method takes time, but for around two dollars a bowl, it is one of the coziest, easiest dinners you can keep in the freezer. Stock up when the savings-book deal is on.
Where to find it
Where to find it: Cuisine Adventures French Onion Soup, 6-count at Costco (item #169730). Box size: 60 oz (3.7 lb), 6 individual servings (285g each). Price: ~$11.99, often with a ~$4 savings-book discount, varies by warehouse. Storage: keep frozen; microwave ~5 minutes or bake at 400°F for the browned top. Aisle: freezer section.
Disclaimer: Costco Finds is an independent review site and is not affiliated, endorsed, or sponsored by Costco. All opinions are my own, based on personal experience.
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