The Soggy Old School Sandwich That's Better Left In The Past

Over the years, countless new sandwich recipes have been created, but few remain stranger than the broiled soup sandwich. The idea for this vintage sandwich was simple: Slather bread with condensed soup and other ingredients, then run it under the broiler for a quick, open-face "sandwich." In the 1960s, Campbell's ran ads for broiled soup sandwich combos like ham-asparagus or tuna-egg, calling for condensed soups such as cream of chicken and bean with bacon in the recipes. It was thrifty and clever, but in practice, a fast track to soggy bread.

Campbell's vintage ads tell the story of how interesting the concept once was, but time has shown why it never earned a permanent spot next to the likes of the classic grilled cheese. Remember, condensed soup is a thick stock but it still contains water, although minimal. Also, when an open-face sandwich is cooked under a broiler, heat concentrates on the top of the food, leaving the bottom of your sandwich damp. Add in salty meats and juicy vegetables, and you compound the problem. That is the mechanism behind the mushiness of this old school sandwich. The bread soaks up liquid, and by the time the top browns, the base is soft and wet instead of nice and toasty. This clash of textures is why broiled soup sandwiches are better left to the history books. You are far better off treating soup like a side, and not a spread.

If you are feeling creative, however, and want to make a cleaner, less-soggy version of the broiled soup sandwich, you can still incorporate soup with a few minor tweaks. And the good news is you don't have to discard any of the original ingredients at all. To recreate this open-face sandwich with a much-improved texture, start by reducing condensed soup on the stove until it's as thick as possible, then cool it so it sets and acts even more like a spread and less like, well, soup. Second, broil pre-buttered, fully toasted bread on its own to create a crunchy moisture barrier. Spread a thin layer of the cooled, thickened soup onto the toast, top with a low-moisture cheese, and finish with a fast broil on the top rack so the surface blisters before the base has a chance to get soggy. Good cheese options include mozzarella, Parmesan, or cheddar.

You can also choose to channel the spirit of the vintage broiled soup sandwich, but with a modern twist. Go the classic sandwich with soup on the side route instead: Make a proper melt and serve it alongside some delicious pairings. You get to keep the same cozy flavors and avoid the mistakes that make sandwiches soggy. Take things further by making extra-crispy grilled cheese sandwiches that you can dip into soup without ending up with soggy bread. It's much cleaner, and you still enjoy every part of your meal. The old broiled soup sandwich ad captured a moment when condensed soup was fast on the rise in the '60s; today, we know it shines best in a bowl, not on bread.