The 2 Campbell's Canned Soup Flavors That Contain The Least Amount Of Sodium

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Is canned soup a contender for the greatest all-rounder in your pantry? We think so. There are lots of flavors to try, a can will last for years, and when you do crack it open, a tasty hug in culinary form awaits. Against all those benefits we must acknowledge the disadvantage that canned soup generally contains a lot of salt. One serving (around half a can) contains up to 800 milligrams of sodium on average, a considerable chunk of the daily maximum of 2,300 milligrams recommended for adults. We debunked this age-old hack for solving salty soup, but thankfully Campbell's has a solution that works. Of the brand's low-sodium options, two contain just 50 milligrams of salt: unsalted cream of mushroom and unsalted tomato.

The third entry in the Campbell's low-sodium range, unsalted cream of chicken soup, contains 60 milligrams of sodium. All three cans carry a distinctive blue "unsalted" label so they stand out from the soupy crowd on grocery shelves. Campbell's low-sodium condensed tomato was the first to be launched in 2009, but it wasn't the company's first attempt to reduce the salt in its soups. In 2004, it switched to all-natural sea salt that cut the sodium in cans by 45% (a traditional can of condensed tomato soup generally has 480 milligrams of salt). All of this is good news for shoppers looking to cut down their salt intake, which can significantly reduce the risk of high blood pressure and related health problems.

Health experts may have welcomed Campbell's low-sodium soups, but the same can't be said for foodies. The tomato was dubbed more bland than its traditional counterpart on social media, while the unsalted cream of mushroom was variously described on social media as "hot thick water" and "entirely flavorless." However, opinions changed when the unsalted soups were used in other ways. Just as this Italian-style canned soup makes a delicious pasta sauce, home cooks on Reddit said Campbell's low-sodium soups were ideal as a base for casseroles or stews.

What people liked the most about the reduced-sodium soups, however they ate them, was being able to control salt levels themselves. Some shook in a little traditional salt, while others were more inventive, like throwing in crushed-up saltine crackers, which could also thicken the soup's texture. But it's not the only way to amp up the flavor of a low-sodium soup if you think it's not packing a punch. There's a laundry list of herbs that can give canned soup a flavor upgrade, while stirring in an allium like garlic almost instantly gives your soup or sauce another dimension. Some finely chopped onion or celery will also add complexity, but if you don't want to mess around with the texture of your canned soup or crank up the sodium, you could try adding no-salt bouillon powders like these to boost the taste.