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What is Condensed Soup?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Condensed soup is soup that is cooked with a minimum of water, so that it forms a thick stock which almost resembles a sauce. To use it, consumers add water or cream to the highly concentrated soup and heat it. Several manufacturers make this type of soup, offering it in cans and vacuum packed cartons, and some consumers also make a variation at home, using dried ingredients to make a concentrated soup mix. The product is extremely useful, especially in disaster kits, since it is easy to reconstitute soup cans into a meal and it tends to be very nutritious.

When commercial condensed soup is manufactured, ingredients are simmered to make a thick stock, which is boiled down so that the amount of water in the stock is greatly reduced. Other ingredients are added, along with thickeners, and the result is a very thick soup that can be thinned with milk or water to turn it into a meal. After the cooking process is complete, the condensed product is packaged for sale. Typically, it is shelf stable in a sealed container for several years.

Condensed soup is easily made with milk or water.
Condensed soup is easily made with milk or water.

Some consumers complain that commercially available soup is too salty, and they prefer to make their own at home. Homemade soup can be condensed through long cooking, although it tends not to be as shelf stable as commercial versions. A dried soup mix can also be made by blending dry milk powder, cornstarch, bouillon flakes, and dried herbs and spices. The mix can easily be turned into soup with the addition of water, although it will be more like a broth until more ingredients are added.

Canned condensed soup is available in many markets, and it has a wide range of uses. In addition to being eaten plain, it is also used in recipes, such as tuna noodle casserole in many parts of the United States. Since the soup keeps for an extended period of time, college students and people with low cash flow often stock up on cans of it. Given that each can of soup reconstitutes into multiple meals, it provides decent nutrition at an affordable price.

Since soup is a comfort food for many people, condensed soup is also one way to enjoy soup without having to endure a laborious cooking process every time. People who are sick often enjoy chicken noodle or tomato soups, which are frequently available in condensed form. Home cooks can also, of course, make large batches of favorite soups and freeze them for later.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a DelightedCooking researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a DelightedCooking researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon289745

Very interesting. I've always read the words 'condensed soup' but had no clue what it meant until now. I love canned soup because of that strong flavor it has. In my opinion, when the soup is homemade, it tastes very bland or watery to me. Maybe I'm just spoiled by the canned variety. I like my soups very thick and creamy.

Charlie89

So here's a trivia question for all you wisegeek readers: What company first condensed soup in 1898?

Bragging rights to whoever gets it first!

lightning88

My mom always used to use condensed cream of celery soup for her casseroles, but I hated it!

To this day, I still always turn to the cream of chicken rather than the celery.

Maybe it's just because I had to eat it, or maybe I'm just mentally allergic to celery, but there's just something about it that gets to me.

EarlyForest

I don't know what I'd do without my condensed cheddar cheese soup -- I just use it so many different recipes, and it's good on its own for dinner too, if I don't feel like cooking.

I know that it's not the healthiest thing in the world, so I try not to eat it too often, but it's just so good!

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    • Condensed soup is easily made with milk or water.
      By: Joshua Resnick
      Condensed soup is easily made with milk or water.