The Famous Chef-Created, Discontinued Canned Soup That May Never Return

Even when it is store-bought, a hearty bowl of chicken noodle soup never fails to warm the soul. Yet, like most other foods, there are varying degrees of quality between brands. Once upon a time, folks had the opportunity to walk out of the grocery store with an elevated chicken noodle soup made from a recipe crafted by the famous chef Wolfgang Puck. Unfortunately, that's not an option these days, as finding the product is about as likely as finding a can of discontinued TaB soda.

The chef who brought us the Michelin-starred restaurant Spago joined Country Gourmet Foods to release a line of canned soups in 1997. Among them was the well-received Wolfgang Puck Organic Free Range Chicken Noodle Soup. It combined a generous amount of organic veggies and chicken with egg noodles in a broth that tasted as close to made from scratch as you can get from a can, at least according to some fans.

In 2008, Campbell's acquired the Wolfgang Puck line of soups and stocks. One would think that was a good sign for the acclaimed chef's canned creations, but not necessarily so. Shortly after the acquisition, the flavorful chicken noodle soup variety became hard to find, then disappeared completely. It is unknown why exactly the soup was discontinued once Campbell's got its hands on it, although it does seem likely that the cost of producing the product wasn't resulting in a profit for the company.

You can always upgrade canned soup with flavorful cheesy additions or by including crunchy elements, but the truth is that cheaper varieties won't generally taste as good as a soup made by a professional chef (or at least from that chef's recipe). So, what went wrong? Using organic ingredients in the Wolfgang Puck Organic Free Range Chicken Noodle Soup came at a cost that may have led to its downfall. From organic carrots, celery, and onion to organic tapioca starch, all the elements that perhaps enhanced the flavor very definitely elevated the price.

Organic foods are commonly more expensive than their non-organic counterparts for numerous reasons. Ultimately, organic operations tend to produce less food and often utilize more human labor than large corporate farms. That means there is only so much organic food available in the market, and because there is therefore a higher demand for it, the price is typically elevated well above factory-farmed products.

Whereas Campbell's signature brand of chicken noodle soup is currently priced at just over a dollar for a 10.75-ounce can, Wolfgang Puck's organic version sold for over four dollars in some areas. It was slightly larger at just over 13 ounces, but it was likely a hard sell for budget-minded shoppers. There is always a chance that Campbell's could revive the discontinued soup someday, but there is no indication that will be the case anytime soon.