While many on Penn’s campus consider themselves foodies, I can proudly say that I consider myself a soupie. Chalk it up to my frigid Minnesota upbringing, my limited budget or my penchant for excessive sodium intake, but I would gladly eat (and have eaten) soup for breakfast, lunch and dinner whenever possible. Whether it be broth or cream-based, stew or bisque, I'll slurp it and love it. As a soupie, no one knows better than I do about the long-running and contentious soup war — Progresso versus Campbell’s. The brands have no qualms about making obvious their attempts to one-up each other. Via commercials, Progresso accuses Campbell’s of having shoddy ingredients, and Campbell’s comes back with “proof” that the American people prefer the mm-mmm good stand-by. As a non-partisan bystander, I put these two to the test in a head-to-head battle of the most classic of soups: chicken noodle.
Campbell’s Select Harvest Chicken Egg Noodle vs. Progresso Chicken Noodle
Round one: On the Can Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s cans are a modern art-lover’s staple, but the beautiful blue Progresso label with a vivid picture of hearty ingredients makes you want to dip your spoon in right there in the FroGro aisle. Kind of. Campbell’s has taken note and decided to switch it up with their new “Select Harvest” marketing, providing a similar picture of soup on its signature white label. The top of the Campbell’s can explains that the can is “100% recyclable” while the Progresso’s lid only warns that “Edges May Be Sharp!” Overall, however, I more readily reached for the comfortingly squat Progresso blue can over the tall and slender Campbell’s. Winner: Progresso
Round two: Nutrition We are all aware that soup is not typically the most nutritious of choices. In this arena, however, Campbell’s decided to take the healthy eater approach, boasting no artificial flavors, all natural ingredients and most shockingly for a canned soup, no MSG. While overall the two contain nearly identical nutrition facts (Campbell’s is slightly more caloric and fatty but has more vitamins), the ingredient list on the Campbell’s can is shorter and contains more natural items. Winner: Campbell’s
Round three: Price $2.95 each. Winner: Push
Round four: Taste and Satisfaction Really the only aspect that matters to me, I tasted the two back-to-back, assuming that the call would be tough to make. I was mistaken. While the two soups look incredibly similar (both contain wide egg noodles, sliced carrots and celery, and chunks of chicken in a clear broth), the tastes could not be more different. I started with Campbell’s, expecting a hearty-tasting soup and instead got complete and total blandness — so that’s where leaving out the MSG gets you. The soup was unseasoned, the chicken was tough and chewy and the egg noodles were ever-so-slightly mushy. Needless to say, it was mmm-mmm gross, and I could not finish that bowl, a rare reaction for such a fervent soupie. The Progresso came in a not-so-close first with its slightly thicker broth, tenderer chicken and delicious flavor… thanks monosodium glutamate! Winner and grand champion: Progresso.
