CONOR POPEtests five brands of instant soup
Campbell’s Cup-A-Soup Creamy Chicken and Bacon, €1.53 for 74g, 51 cent per serving
Highs: This offering from one of the grand old dames of the soup business smells strongly of bacon, probably because there are loads of little pieces of the stuff floating on the surface. Despite the extensive processing, the bacon pieces have managed to retain their appearance, texture and flavour. This soup is surprisingly creamy, not excessively salty and made in Thurles.
Lows: You have to worry when the first ingredient listed is not chicken or bacon but hydrogenated vegetable oil. The flecks of green which we assumed were parsley were almost completely tasteless and we were unable to discern even the slightest hint of chicken flavour from this.
Verdict: Pricey and greasy
Star Rating: **
Bistro Snack Soup in a Mug, €0.85 for 114g, 21 cent per serving
Highs: It is very cheap and quite colourful with bright green, red and orange bits bobbing about the pale liquid.
Lows: The first thing we did after making our first cup of this was to accidentally dump it, boiling, into our lap as we marvelled at the pools of grease which had formed on the top of the soup. Equally worrying was the ingredient list, which contained not one but two mentions of hydrogenated vegetable oils – in the soup and in the croutons. There was six times more chicken fat than actual chicken, which explains the greasiness. Despite the presence of so many croutons and "vegetables", however, it was utterly tasteless and joyless.
Verdict: Cheap and greasy
Star rating: **
Knorr Quick Soup Gourmet Cream of Chicken, €1.53 for 67g, 51 cent per serving
Highs: While we're not certain that "gourmet" and "quick soup" belong in the same sentence, this actually does taste quite pleasant. The tiny little croutons keep their crunch for a long time. This soup is also a surprising source of vitamin C, B12, B6 and folic acid. Almost as surprising was the fact that it also tastes of chicken. Chicken makes up 1.3 per cent of this soup – that might not sound like a lot, but it is nearly three times more than in some of the competition.
Lows: Just because they've added vitamins, doesn't necessarily mean this is a wholesome product. Despite the lack of greasiness, one serving had the highest concentration of saturated fat. It is also had the dearest per serving price of the lot.
Verdict: Comforting
Star rating: ****
Dunnes Stores Instant Chicken Soup, €0.89 for 40g, 30 cent per serving
Highs: This is a warming, cheering soup that retains a comparatively strong chicken flavour; it is made with 1.4 per cent chicken, which makes it the most chickeny of the lot. It is also pleasingly smooth and turns its back on all the croutons and vegetables and bacon add-ons which other manufacturers think add value to their brands. This is quite simply a straightforward product that tastes absolutely fine. While the per kilo price makes it look quite expensive, you do get four sachets of soup for your 89 cent which makes it one of the better value products on the market.
Lows: It is an alarming yellow colour and left a strong aftertaste that didn't seem entirely natural.
Verdict: Good value, fine product
Star Rating: ***
Erin Hot Cup Chicken and Chive Soup, €1.79 for 60g, 60 cent per serving
Highs: The little pieces of reconstituted chive in this soup deserve a special mention as they actually have the taste and texture of the original ingredient, no small achievement when compared with some of the other products we tried. It is the only one not to include hydrogenated vegetable oil in the ingredient list, which might make it marginally better for you. Despite the fact that it is made with just half a per cent chicken, it actually has a robust flavour.
Lows: While 60 cent a serving might not sound like a lot, it does make this product three times more expensive than the cheapest cuppa soup on the market.
Verdict: Nice but pricey
Star rating: ***
