Canned soup is among the foods that last the longest on a shelf. It can last for up to 15 years if stored in a cool, dry place and sealed properly.
To make canned soup last longer, you must store it at room temperature or below. Do not allow the cans of soup to sit in your pantry where they will stay warm and go bad. If you left them out overnight by accident, throw them away immediately instead of attempting to use them later.
Let’s take a look at the best can soup brands today:
3. Campbell’s
Campbell’s is known for producing popular soup varieties like tomato, chicken noodle and vegetable. The company has been producing canned soups for more than 100 years. Some of Campbell’s best soup recipes include Tomato Bisque or Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup made with Campbell’s Condensed Soups. Campbell’s was founded in 1869 by two brothers in New Jersey. The company has remained family-owned for five generations and is currently headquartered in Camden, N.J.
The Campbell brothers, John and James, established the company in 1869. The two were originally from Scotland but moved to New Jersey when their father relocated for work. They hoped to build a good life for themselves in America and used their savings from working as grocers in North Carolina to start a fresh venture selling tea off of the back of a wagon. Noticing how popular soup was becoming throughout the U.S., they decided that this would be an ideal product for them to sell.
The first Campbell’s soup was produced in a three-story building located in Camden, N.J., and the brothers began selling their canned vegetable soups at local markets to customers who were looking for an easy way to prepare this popular dish at home. The business did well but faced some challenges during World War I as prices for consumer goods increased dramatically. In response, Campbell’s lowered its prices and formed a partnership with American Home Food Products Co., which distributed Campbell’s soups to grocers across the country.
2. Progresso
Progresso’s range of canned soups consist of a wide variety of options for all tastes: mild, medium and spicy.
Mild flavours include chicken noodle soup, chicken vegetable soup, cream of potato soup, tomato basil soup and tomato-basil pasta sauce with grilled cheese sandwich on wheat bread. Medium soups include beef vegetable stew or chili con carne; spicy varieties are cheeseburger in a can or hamburger steak with onion rings. Progresso’s ‘Gourmet’ line include a wide range of varieties, including chicken noodle gourmet soup, beef vegetable stew gourmet soup and turkey tetrazzini with vegetables.
Progresso’s ‘Light’ soups are made with less sodium; the company claims that, for example, each serving of its light chicken soup has only 23 milligrams of salt compared to 55 from traditional recipes.
The Progresso Light line includes many varieties: chicken vegetable soup, tomato basil pasta sauce gourmet and an Italian-style minestrone containing all vegetables. The Light range also includes a variety of single serve portions (‘8oz Cups’) and single serve cups.
Progresso produces a variety of canned fruit drinks, including 10 different varieties of canned fruit drinks: a tomato with basil juice drink and an orange pineapple peach juice drink. In addition to Progresso’s range of canned soups, the company also makes evaporated milk for coffee and other uses; it is available in 8 ounce cans or larger jugs (19.5 and 24 ounce sizes).
Progresso sells its products in two main kinds of markets: full service grocery and warehouse clubs, including Costco Wholesale; and smaller independent supermarkets. Progresso’s canned soups are sold primarily in foodservice outlets, especially restaurants. The company also distributes its canned pasta sauce to retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Federated Department Stores Inc. (formerly known as Macys), Safeway Stores Inc. (Safeway), Ahold Delhaize America (ALDI), and Food Lion Inc.
The Progresso Company was founded in 1925 by a group of Italian immigrants who set up a canning factory in New Orleans.
1. Amy’s Organic Soups
Amy’s Organic Soups is a brand that recently received the Whole Foods Market seal of approval and has been making waves in the food industry. According to Amy’s Organic, they are committed to providing nourishment through fresh, whole foods that use organic ingredients without synthetic additives or preservatives. They currently have a variety of soups available but also produce products such as smoothies and juices using their own organic formulations.
All of the products are organic and contain no additives or preservatives. They claim to use only USDA certified organic ingredients, which means they follow strict guidelines on where their foods come from, what they are fed and how they are grown. The company has several different varieties of soups available for purchase but two that have been gaining popularity lately include Creamy Chicken Noodle (made with chicken breast) and Quinoa & Kale Chowder (made with quinoa). Both flavors have received many positive reviews from customers.
Amy’s Organic Soups may be new to the organic food industry, but they are not new to creating delicious products at lower costs than typical processed foods. Amy’s soups have been on shelves since 2009 and were originally created by a mother of three who was tired of large commercial soup companies using preservatives and additives in their foods that she felt had no benefit for her family or her health. In turn, she started making all natural recipes herself which led to the development of the company’s organic line.
Amy’s Organic Soups are available at most natural food stores or online for purchase. They can be found at Amazon or on the Amy’s website.
There are so many other things you can do with canned soup besides just eating it as part of a meal. Here are some ideas:
Make them into soup: You can make up bisques, stews and soups by combining one or two cans of your favorite ingredients in a saucepan. Some soups take longer than others to cook, but most only need an hour or two at a low temperature for flavors to meld together.
Use them in recipes: Some soup ingredients can be incorporated into other dishes. For example, you could add some cheese to a recipe that calls for cream of mushroom soup or use sour cream instead of milk in a casserole.
Use them for cooking: Soup can also be used to cook meat or other foods, which can help save on expensive ingredients. You could use canned soup as a base for a homemade chili recipe, combining your favorite ingredients with the soup. The possibilities are endless.