Why Is Canned Soup So Salty?

From making comforting casseroles to providing the perfect sick day meal, canned soups are as classic as it gets. While the grocery store options are vast, one feature all canned soups tend to share is a sky-high salt content.

As any cook knows, salt makes the world go round. It enhances flavors, livens up dishes, and even makes sweet treats shine. Still, it's a question worth asking: Why is the sodium in that can of chicken noodle soup so darn high? A typical can of soup can deliver anywhere from 1,400 to 1,800 milligrams of sodium, with some containing much more. A can of Campbell's chunky chicken noodle soup, for example, contains nearly 40% of your recommended daily intake for sodium. 

From a functional perspective, sodium generally aids in preservation and longevity, warding off harmful pathogens and keeping food fresher. Today, companies can rely on other modern-day options for preservation. Still, taste, flavor, and familiarity are a larger part of the equation. Our American palates have an acquired taste for heavily salty foods. In the decades since WWII, the average American's salt intake has ballooned by as much as 50%. Interestingly, the Campbell Soup Company acknowledges this in its statement on sodium, claiming that while it is committed to gradually lowering sodium content, consumer preferences encourage the company to keep the salt content high.

Put bluntly, if you're keeping a particularly close eye on your sodium, canned soup just might not be your best bet. Instead, try making your own version of roasted tomato soup or chicken noodle at home. Health concerns aside, if you find your mouth puckering at the high salt levels, some options are better than others. Steer clear of the obvious saltiest offenders, which tend to be soup flavors loaded with bacon, beef, and cheeses. Lower sodium options tend to include simpler, more veggie and legume-based choices, like split pea or butternut squash soups. Plus, you can generally trust cans that have labels like "reduced sodium" or "low sodium" on the packaging to be less salty. 

Though one might argue the whole point of a canned soup is that you don't have to spend time cooking it, you can also always try DIY hacks for mellowing out an overly salty soup — whether canned or homemade — like adding grated potato to dial down the brininess. For all the rest of you salt-loving individuals, enjoy the time-honored comfort of heating up a can of hearty, cozy, stick-to-your-ribs bowl of soup.