To serve with homemade bread, choose a ready-to-heat soup in a carton if you want to get a meal on the table quickly, or a dehydrated soup if you prefer compact storage and don’t mind reconstituting it. If you’d rather add soup to your bread dough, check a suitable recipe before choosing a product: advice on formats for soup served alongside bread doesn’t determine the quantities to use in dough.
If soup is being served alongside the bread, a ready-to-heat carton can make mealtimes simpler. If you’re serving one or two people, check the number of portions so you can choose an amount you’ll finish after opening.
Dehydrated soup takes up less space than liquid soup, but needs water and preparation. Royco describes its instant soups as a quick option; they shouldn’t be confused with soup in a carton that’s ready to heat.
When soup is served with bread and salty toppings, comparing the salt per portion helps you assess the meal as a whole. Anses lists bread, cheese, cured meats and soups among the foods that contribute to salt intake.
If the soup is to be served with bread, first decide between a ready-to-heat product and one that needs to be reconstituted. Then check the serving size and the information on the label; a carton, dehydrated soup and tinned soup aren’t interchangeable formats.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Format and leftovers | Number of portions and storage instructions after opening. | If I’m serving one or two people, I’d look for an amount I can finish without leaving an opened carton; avoiding leftovers would be the priority for around 40% of consumers. |
| Storage and preparation | Liquid soup that’s ready to heat, or dehydrated soup that needs water; preparation instructions. | When I keep soup for an unexpected meal with bread, storage space and preparation time matter most to me; around 30% of consumers would prioritise this need. |
| Salt and ingredients | Salt per 100 ml and per portion, plus the ingredients and allergens listed on the product. | If bread is served with cheese or cured meats, I want to be able to compare the salt in the soup before putting the meal together; this would be the main criterion for around 30% of consumers. |
Soup in a carton, dehydrated soup and tinned soup don’t necessarily have the same preparation or storage instructions. Carrefour’s aisles, for example, distinguish liquid soups from dehydrated soups.
Identify the exact format, then read the preparation and storage instructions for the product you’ve chosen.
The salt in the soup adds to the salt in the other foods in the meal. Anses lists soups and broths among the foods that contribute to salt intake.
Compare the amount per 100 ml with the amount in the portion you plan to serve.
Royco offers instant soups for people who prefer to keep a compact meal option in the cupboard.
Carrefour offers liquid soups in cartons across several ranges, including Carrefour, Carrefour Classic' and Carrefour Bio.
Auchan’s 2 × 30 cl creamy vegetable soup gives you the option of a smaller, ready-to-eat format.
ALDI offers soups in cartons and instant soup mixes, including SIMPLEMENT BON & BIO® recipes.
Don’t assume that it can: follow the storage instructions after opening on the packaging. For Auchan’s 2 × 30 cl creamy vegetable soup, the product listing says to transfer it to an airtight container, keep it in the fridge and consume it within 2 days.
Read the date label on the product and check its storage conditions: a best-before date and a use-by date don’t mean the same thing. The Ministry of the Economy also reminds consumers to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on temperature and storage time after opening.
No: if it appears on the packaging, Nutri-Score is just one piece of information to consider alongside the nutrition values, ingredients list and allergens. To compare the soups you plan to serve, look in particular at the salt per 100 ml and per portion; Santé publique France explains that displaying Nutri-Score is voluntary.