For Christmas baking, use the ingredients specified in the recipe rather than soup: the products described by Carrefour and Auchan are soups to be served separately. If you’d also like to serve a savoury starter, check the pack size, number of portions, preparation instructions and information on the packaging of the product you choose.
You’re looking for a savoury starter as well as ingredients for baking. Carrefour features ready-to-serve soups, while E.Leclerc features dehydrated sachets. Check how many portions each format makes before choosing.
You’re already busy baking and would like to serve soup separately. For its Royco 12-vegetable soup sachets, Auchan advises adding boiling water and leaving the soup to stand for two minutes.
You need to check the label before serving soup to your guests. Auchan’s listing for Royco 12-vegetable blended soup declares milk, celery and wheat containing gluten, as well as possible traces of other allergens. This information applies to this specific product.
Soup can complement your Christmas meal, but it’s separate from the ingredients you need for baking. Decide how many portions you want, then check the preparation instructions and label for the product you choose.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Format and portions | Check the volume of soup made and the number of portions stated for the exact product, especially if it’s a sachet that needs to be reconstituted. | To serve a starter to the right number of guests, I want to know how many bowls each pack will make; around 40% of consumers put format and portions at the top of their list of concerns. |
| Preparation | Check whether the soup is ready to serve or needs to be reconstituted, and note the amount of water and standing time specified. | When the kitchen is already busy with baking, I prefer a starter I can plan ahead; ease of serving is the top priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and storage | Read the allergen information and check for possible traces, then look at the storage instructions and date label on the packaging. | If I’m serving several guests, I need to check that the soup suits their dietary requirements and can be stored as directed; around 30% of consumers put these checks first. |
A dehydrated sachet needs to be prepared with water, so its weight alone won’t tell you how many bowls it makes.
If you’re serving a starter to several people, check the prepared volume and number of portions on the packaging of each product.
The ready-to-serve soups featured by Carrefour and the sachets described by Auchan are intended to be eaten as soup, separately from dessert.
Make a list of the ingredients for your Christmas recipe separately from those for your savoury starter.
Auchan’s listing for Royco 12-vegetable blended soup declares milk, celery and wheat containing gluten, as well as possible traces of other allergens. Check the ingredients for each product.
Read the label on the pack you’re going to serve, especially if a guest needs to avoid certain ingredients.
France’s Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control distinguishes between the use-by date (DLC), which must not be passed, and the best-before date (DDM). After a best-before date, the product may still be consumed provided, among other things, that the packaging is intact, although its taste may have deteriorated.
Read the exact date wording on the product, follow its storage instructions and discard any damaged packaging.
Instant dehydrated soups in sachets, worth considering as a savoury starter separate from your baking.
Carrefour’s range of ready-to-serve soups includes, among other options, an eight-vegetable blended soup.
Dehydrated soups in sachets, featured by E.Leclerc.
For this specific product, pour the contents of one sachet into a mug, add 200 ml of boiling water and stir. Leave it to stand for two minutes, following the instructions listed by Auchan. Check the packaging if you choose a different Royco soup.
A use-by date must not be passed, while a product may still be consumed after its best-before date, provided the packaging is intact, according to France’s Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control. Also check the product’s storage instructions; its taste may deteriorate after the best-before date.