How Campbell's Canned Tomato Soup Recipe Has Changed From 1897 To Today

Operating since 1869, Campbell's Soup Company has become the most popular and historic soup brand in the country. The company started when fruit and vegetable vendor Joseph Campbell joined forces with Abraham Anderson, a commercial canner, in Camden, New Jersey. By 1894, Campbell had retired and passed on the leadership mantle. A year later the company would introduce perhaps its most famous product: Campbell's Tomato Soup.

The original recipe Campbell's used isn't quite the same as the soup you'll find on store shelves today. The first iteration appeared in jars. The condensed and ready-to-eat canned version showed up in 1897. The star of the show in the original recipe was beefsteak tomatoes, but the soup also included beef extract and butter. For six servings, you would add 1 ½ pints of boiling water, stir well, and serve.

No surprise, the modern day recipe in Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup is a bit more complicated. According to Campbell's, each can consists of six quality, farm-grown tomatoes — though the company doesn't specify what variety. These tomatoes are pureed with water and tomato paste. The cans also include other ingredients, like wheat flour, sugar, salt, natural flavoring, citric acid, vitamin C, celery extract, and garlic oil. Directions call to mix the soup with one can of water or milk and transfer to a microwave safe bowl, cooking for 2 ½ to 3 minutes. You can also simply heat and occasionally stir the soup in a pot on the stove.

To be clear, we couldn't find much about the 1897 tomato soup — other than what's included on an image of the can. That said, in terms of what we do know, the most notable factor has to be the inclusion of beefsteak tomatoes in the original 1897 version. These tomatoes are heartier and larger than other types, and can be 6 or more inches in diameter. Beefsteak tomatoes also have less juice and seeds than other varieties, which will naturally make the soup thicker when pureed.

The ingredients in today's Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup would make this version seem a little lighter and thinner in texture. But, it might also be more flavorful due to the added ingredients, like sugar, salt, natural flavoring, celery extract, and garlic oil. The option to add milk instead of water, however, would seem to make this modern version a creamier tomato soup, and, perhaps, closer to the texture of the original.

Today, Campbell's makes more than 200 soups across its product line. If a soup exists, there's a great likelihood that Campbell's makes a version of it. But, it all started with the classic tomato soup. And, while the recipes for these canned soups have changed over the last 130 years or so, it seems the comfort level and enjoyability factor of Campbell's tomato soup has stayed consistent.