Ch-ch-ch-changes have come to ch-ch-ch-chicken noodle soup. The cans that inspired Andy Warhol’s pop-art don’t hold the same contents that foodies are slurping today. Why? Because Campbell’s changed its chicken noodle soup recipe in 2015.
To cater to growing consumer distrust of hard-to-pronounce additives, Campbell’s cut down the ingredients list of its chicken noodle soup from 30 to 20 items. The soup giant also got rid of 13 ingredients from the nutrition label (potassium chloride, monosodium glutamate, chicken flavor, maltodextrin, cornstarch, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, lactic acid, spice, flavoring — soybean oil and soy lecithin –, celery, onions, and vegetable oil) and added three new ones: dehydrated chicken broth, dehydrated onions, and water.
As then-chief executive Denise M. Morrison told The New York Times at the time of the recipe change: “Before, when we talked about our business, we talked about how many cases we shipped. Today, we’re talking about our food.” Apparent virtue-signalling aside (The Campbell’s Company has a net worth of over $11 billion, but we’re not like those other corporations who are in it for the money), the change was a fairly radical shift toward health consciousness. Many home cooks still use Campbell’s canned soups as recipe ingredients in themselves, adding cream of mushroom soup to green bean casserole or cream of chicken soup to cheesy funeral potatoes. But, with chicken noodle soup, it’s straight out of the can and into the bowl — nothing to hide behind — meaning any taste changes are immediately more noticeable.
Not everyone likes Campbell’s more health-conscious recipe
Shaking up the ingredients label was intended to place greater focus on food quality and simple, familiar ingredients. However, “familiarity” is a tricky word for this new facelift on a longstanding classic. As Charles Vila, Campbell’s vice president for consumer and customer insights, told The New York Times: “It’s a delicate balance because these products are beloved. Their profile has become very defined in the consumer mind over the years.”
As one 2015 reaction piece from The Guardian half-joked: “The famous chicken noodle soup cannot possibly evoke the same nostalgia for my childhood sick days now that it is missing key artificial ingredients.” To retain its nostalgic appeal, argued the past-pious opposition, Campbell’s chicken noodle should taste the way it does in longtime fans’ memories, even if it isn’t exactly a “health food.”
Indeed, surviving nostalgia dregs might be the primary factor keeping Campbell’s chicken noodle soup afloat in 2025. According to a recent report by Amy’s Kitchen (our favorite canned soup brand), modern consumers are seeking out global flavors (particularly Turkish, regional Asian, African, and Italian cuisines). Canned soups are a convenient way to enjoy those flavors at home without having to splurge on a meal out. If not nostalgia, then affordability also plays largely into Campbell’s enduring appeal. A four-pack of Campbell’s classic chicken noodle soup runs for $3.99 on Amazon. (Who could argue with less than one dollar per can?)
