For a Christmas starter, choose a soup that is explicitly labelled as reduced in salt, then compare the amount of salt listed for the portion you’ll serve. If you specifically want tinned soup, check the packaging: fresh or bottled soup may not meet this requirement. These savoury soups aren’t established ingredients for sweet baking; for a savoury dish, follow the recipe you’re making.
If you’re serving soup at Christmas, look for a reduced-salt claim on the specific product. Then compare the amount of salt shown in the nutrition information: a reduced-salt claim alone won’t tell you how much salt is in your portion.
Volume matters just as much as the recipe you choose. Auchan lists, for example, a 36 cl Liebig soup for 1.5 people, as well as 1 L packs for four people and 2 x 1 L packs. These are savoury soups to serve, not baking ingredients.
If your recipe uses soup as the base for a dish or side, check that it’s suitable for the recipe and its ingredients. For sweet baking, stick to the ingredients listed in the recipe.
When choosing a soup to serve at Christmas, consider the salt content, where it fits in the menu and how it’s packaged separately.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Salt content | Check the salt content in the nutrition information and what the claim is being compared with. Relate the amount to the portion you’ll serve. | For a festive starter, I want to know how much salt is in my bowl rather than rely on the percentage shown alone; around 46% of consumers prioritise this amount. |
| Place in the menu | Check that it’s a savoury recipe, and review the ingredients and allergen information for the guests concerned. | If the soup is going with Christmas dinner, I want to avoid a product that doesn’t suit my recipe or guests; around 36% of consumers put this compatibility first. |
| Pack size and storage | Choose a volume that suits the number of portions, then read the storage instructions. Check the type of packaging if you’re looking for tinned soup. | When I’m serving several people, I look for a suitable volume and packaging that I can store as instructed; pack size is the priority for around 18% of consumers. |
A claim such as ‘25% less salt’ compares a soup with a reference product; on its own, it doesn’t tell you how much salt you’ll consume in one portion.
Compare the nutrition information for the specific product, the portion you’ll serve and the reference stated alongside the claim.
The products mentioned are savoury soups that are ready to serve. The fact that they might feature in a Christmas meal doesn’t mean they’re suitable for dessert.
For baking, follow the ingredients listed in your recipe. Only consider soup in a savoury dish if the recipe calls for it.
The packaging and storage instructions can affect how you plan your meal. The Ferme d’Anchin soup listed by Carrefour is fresh, and its recipe includes ingredients such as celeriac and crème fraîche.
Check the packaging, ingredients, allergens and storage instructions on the product you buy.
The products below illustrate different pack sizes and claims to compare individually; don’t assume that they’re tinned.
Auchan lists Liebig soups that are ready to heat, including one recipe labelled ‘25% less salt’ and PurSoup’ packs labelled ‘less salt’.
Carrefour lists a fresh organic eight-vegetable soup in a 98.5 cl bottle, labelled as containing 30% less salt than the average chilled soup.
Royco offers several soup ranges, including Classique, Exotique, Crémeux, Gratiné and Vermicelles.
No. This claim describes a relative reduction, not the amount of salt in your portion. Auchan uses it for a Liebig product; Carrefour, meanwhile, states that its Ferme d’Anchin soup contains 30% less salt than the average chilled soup. To choose, check the salt content of the specific product and what each claim is comparing it with.
Don’t choose it as an ingredient for sweet baking just because it’s reduced in salt: the products featured are savoury soups that are ready to serve. If you’re making a pie or another savoury dish, first check that the recipe calls for this type of soup.
Not automatically: taste it before adding anything. Manger Bouger advises tasting food before adding salt and not adding extra salt to tinned products; also check the instructions on the product you’re serving.