Five store-bought soups that shoppers are never getting back at their local supermarket - from Trade

Publish date: 2024-02-29

FIVE fan-favorite store-bought soups have been discontinued, and shoppers haven’t quite figured out how to replace them.

Companies discontinue products for a variety of reasons, even if they might still have mass appeal.

Supply chain challenges could play a role, while customer complaints could also get an item booted from shelves.

In the vast majority of cases where businesses have stopped selling certain food products, however, the items disappear from stores due to plain old low sales.

The U.S. Sun compiled a full list of all the beloved soups that have been discontinued over the years, and there’s little hope any of them will make a comeback.

1. CAMPBELL’S PEPPER POT SOUP

While current shoppers might not recognize Campbell’s Pepper Pot Soup on today’s soup aisle, it used to be a fan favorite.

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That was until 2010 when Campbell mysteriously discarded the soup.

It’s likely the company recognized the majority of Americans no longer were looking to eat cow stomach, but the traditional stew is still missed dearly by its fans.

2. CAMPBELL’S CHUNKY PHILLY-STYLE CHEESESTEAK SOUP

A more recent Campbell creation, the Philly-Style Cheesesteak Soup targeted fans of the iconic Philly Cheesesteak with its soup rendition.

The bold flavored soup was hearty and delicious to many shoppers.

The soup was made with potatoes, beef, onions, peppers and a ton of cheese, but it also neared the total FDA daily recommendation for sodium levels in one single can.

While it had a fitting slogan of “It Fills You Up Right,” that wasn’t enough to save the soup from being axed from Campbell’s lineup.

Some shoppers disliked that the soup actually didn’t taste much like a Philly cheesesteak at all, while others complained there were too many potatoes for any of the other flavors to shine.

“It is the worst thing on earth I've ever eaten, bar none,” one Redditor said upon trying the can of soup after it was discovered in their pantry.

With customer feedback somewhat negative, Campbell’s got rid of the hearty option, but a select few still want it to come back.

3. TRADER JOE’S GAZPACHO

Trader Joe’s fans look forward to trying new food items whenever the speciality grocer launches them, and the Gazpacho was no different.

Since it launched, many customers became super attached, but the fun was all over in 2018 when the soup went completely missing from shelves.

Those who still remember the soup recall it was a creamy take on the chilled soup, stocked full of summer vegetables, bread, garlic and olive oil.

Since it was discontinued, Trader Joe’s tested out its Roasted Tomatillo Gazpacho, but a large number of shoppers prefered the old gazpacho far more.

Customer demand was so low Trader Joe’s ended up discontinuing its second version of the soup as well, and now shoppers at the retailer find themselves entirely gazpacho-less.

4. DINTY MOORE MEATBALL STEW

Another hearty option, the Dinty Moore Meatball Stew was stock full of meatballs, potatoes and carrots.

Dinty Moore first began selling its famous beef stew in the 1930s and tried its hand at several new flavors over the years, including the meatball stew.

Despite early promise, the meatball stew largely left shoppers disappointed.

Some described the meatballs as “hot dog like,” leaving much to be desired in the canned meal.

“The little meatballs were closer to the consistency of a hot dog than of ground meat,” one reviewer wrote on Amazon.

“I think there were 5 or 6 of them, all told. Most of the content was sauce.”

Today, Dinty Moore only offers shoppers its original beef stew and chicken and dumplings.

5. HEINZ BEEF SOUP

Unbeknownst to many shoppers today, the iconic Heinz ketchup brand also has its own soup line.

Heinz started its business empire in 1869 by selling horseradish.

Then it opened up the door to creating soups when its Cream of Tomato Soup went live in 1910.

Since then, there’s been relatively no limit to the brand that is now best known for its ketchup, mustard and other sauces.

When it was in stores, the Heinz Beef Soup gained so much popularity there still exists a Facebook page entirely dedicated to bringing back the beloved soup.

Heinz still offers several beefy alternatives, including Beef Stock, Steak & Onion, Steak & Potato and even Beef & Vegetable, but nothing has been able to replace the original beef soup for those who loved it.

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