Supermarket soups this winter: are you pouring away fibre? 28 tested, 3 wins, 3 flops, 2 g salt

A new consumer investigation of 28 supermarket soups splits the comforting from the compromised. It measured fibre, vitamins, salt and additives across three classic families, naming standouts and calling out underperformers many Britons recognise on the shelf.

What testers measured

French consumer group 60 Millions de consommateurs reviewed 28 products across three groups: mixed vegetable “moulinés”, pumpkin-based recipes and leek-and-potato veloutés. The panel looked at fibre, vitamin profile, salt, presence of additives, and whether labels relied on oils or thickeners rather than vegetables.

Most ready-to-serve portions delivered under 1 g of fibre, against daily recommendations of roughly 30–45 g.

Micronutrients varied by style. Leek-and-potato blends tended to lag for vitamin B6, vitamin E and beta carotene. Several recipes used thickeners and flavourings. Some added sunflower oil or cream; a couple of dehydrated sachets included palm oil. Pesticide screening found five different residues across the panel, while most products contained none.

No soup exceeded 2 g of salt per portion, a useful marker against the WHO’s 5 g-per-day target.

The best bets on shelves

Mixed vegetables: simple lists win

Short, legible ingredient lists led the pack in the mixed-veg category. One organic blend stood out for clean composition and value, with vegetables listed first and no gratuitous fats. A mainstream option earned praise for one of the stronger fibre showings in the aisle.

• Marcel Bio “7 légumes bio du terroir” (organic): clear ingredients, good value.
• Grandeur Nature “Mouliné du potager bio” (organic): restrained recipe, vegetable-led.
• Knorr “Légumes du potager” (dehydrated): comparatively decent fibre for the format.

Pumpkin picks that balance comfort and content

• Bio Cambrésis “Potimarron aux éclats de châtaigne toastés”: seasonal, thoughtful composition.
• Knorr “Comme à la maison: potiron et pointe de muscade”: flavourful without runaway salt.
• Liebig “Velouté de potiron, 100% légumes français”: straightforward ingredients.

Leek and potato: familiar labels with fewer compromises

• Liebig “Velouté de poireaux et de pommes de terre”: restrained salt, tidy list.
• Top Budget (Intermarché) “Velouté Poireaux Pommes de terre”: wallet-friendly and serviceable.

Products that fell short

Three references sat at the back of the class for nutrition and composition:

• Royco “Velouté poireaux” scored 7.5/20: too little fibre and vitamins, plus additives.
• Royco “Velouté potiron” scored 8.5/20: low vegetable share, palm oil, starch-heavy recipe.
• Casino “Mouliné légumes variés” scored 9.5/20: potato-dominant, thickeners, scant fibre.

Aim for at least 3 g fibre per portion and keep salt at or below 1.5 g per bowl when you can.

Those numbers help when soup appears often on your winter table. Fibre supports gut health and satiety. Modest salt keeps you within a day’s allowance once bread, cheese or cured meats join the meal.

Quick guide: read a soup label in 20 seconds

• Scan the ingredient order. Vegetables should lead. Long lists full of starches and flavourings hint at shortcuts.
• Check fibre per portion. Close to or above 3 g is a practical target in this aisle.
• Look at salt. Under 1.5 g per portion keeps room for the rest of your day.
• Spot added oils. Prefer olive or rapeseed if used; question palm oil in sachets.
• Favour organic when prices align. Tests found fewer pesticide residues among organic picks.
• Watch for cream in “veloutés” if you track saturated fat.

At-a-glance: better bets and common pitfalls

Why many soups miss the fibre mark

Factory soups often pass through sieves for smoothness. That strains out skins and pulp rich in insoluble fibre. Thickening with starch then replaces texture without restoring fibre. A jar can taste hearty yet add less than 1 g of fibre to your day.

You can balance that in minutes. Stir in a handful of cooked lentils, chickpeas or frozen peas at the reheat stage. Add toasted seeds for crunch. Serve with a small wholemeal roll rather than white bread. Those tweaks move a cosy bowl towards a satisfying meal.

Small swaps that change your numbers

• Two tablespoons of cooked red lentils lift fibre by roughly 3–4 g and bring gentle protein.
• Half a tin of drained chickpeas adds about 7 g of fibre and turns soup into a main.
• A 60 g wholemeal roll can contribute 4–6 g of fibre; choose unsalted butter to keep sodium in check.
• A teaspoon of olive oil instead of cream improves fats without pushing salt.

What this means for UK shoppers

The test took place in France, yet the patterns echo British shelves. The same multinational brands appear. Organic jars frequently use simpler recipes. Sachets can sit lower on vegetables and rely on starches. The label habits above travel well across borders.

If you rotate soup as a weekday fallback, stock one or two higher-fibre options for busy nights. Keep a tin of pulses nearby to fortify any thinner recipe. Track your day’s salt by counting what sits beside the bowl—cheese, ham and crackers often push totals up faster than the soup itself.

A note on pesticides, oils and cost

The panel detected five pesticide residues across all products, while most jars showed none. Organic lines reduced that risk in the test, though prices can rise. When budgets bite, choose non-organic with short, vegetable-first lists and skip palm oil where alternatives exist.

Homemade remains a strong value play when time allows. A kilo of frozen mixed vegetables, an onion, stock and a cup of red lentils deliver a week’s worth of lunches with double-digit fibre per portion. For the rest of the time, a sharper read of labels keeps shop-bought soup firmly on your side of the trolley.