There’s nothing quite like a hot bowl of chicken soup when you’re feeling sick: a creamy cup of tomato soup to go along with a crispy grilled cheese or a smoking dish of chowder or chili to warm you up on a cold winter night.
The tradition of making and eating soup has been around since the stone age, and the food’s popularity is certainly not diminishing. Believe it or not, slurping on your favorite broth or bisque is directly contributing to the exploding profitability of the global soup market.
In fact, the international soup market is estimated to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars, with growth projected to continue at a rate of 4.8 percent through the end of 2025.
Soup consistently ranks among the international top-selling preserved foods, so it’s no surprise that the market is on an upward trajectory. From fresh, canned, and condensed soups to frozen and dried ones, the soup market accounts for a sizable chunk of today’s modern grocery market across the globe.
In the United States alone, it’s estimated that more than 1.18 billion cans of condensed wet soups are manufactured and sold each year. Across the world, these numbers are even more impressive.
Across the globe, several major brands are driving the soup industry. To break it down, we’ve assembled a list of the ten largest soup brands in the world, ranked by their average annual reported revenues.
Nestlé. Vevey, Switzerland
Annual revenue: $99.49 billion
Number of employees: 352,000
When you think of Nestlé, soup probably isn’t the first thing on your mind. In actuality, however, the Swiss multinational food and drink processing corporation is celebrated worldwide for its award-winning line of soups and bouillons.
As the largest food company in the modern world, Nestlé rules the soup industry with its flavor-packed soup and seasoning brand, Maggi. The iconic brand, most readily recognized by its unique red and yellow packaging, is best known for its nutrition-oriented approach to prepackaged food products.
Since its inception in 1886, Maggie products have prioritized both health and flavor. In its 134 year history, the brand has grown significantly, and it is now estimated that more than 4,500 food portions are prepared using Maggi products each second across the globe.
As the brand owner and distributor of Maggi, Nestlé markets Maggi soup products in over 186 countries worldwide. With more than 2,000 brands under their management, Nestlé is known as the “Good food, Good life” company as it strives to “unlock the power of food to enhance the quality of life for everyone.”
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Unilever. London, England
Annual revenue: $60.42 billion
Number of employees: 155,000
Unilever is yet another multi-billion-dollar international consumer goods company leading the world’s soup market. While the Unilever name may be lesser known in the United States, the corporation all but rules the European market with more than 400 brands of food, beauty, personal care, and home products.
With a network of more than 25 million retails globally, Unilever products are available in over 190 countries, and it’s estimated that approximately 2.5 billion people use at least one Unilever product every day.
Among Unilever’s most popular soup products are Unox, Knorr, Lipton Soup, and Cup-a-Soup. Lipton Soup and Cup-a-Soup have become increasingly popular in North America, while Unox and Knorr products are staples in many European diets. All four brands boost affordability and a unique blend of flavors.
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Kraft Heinz. Chicago, United States
Annual revenue: $26.12 billion
Number of employees: 38,757
Ranking as the world’s third-largest soup manufacturer is the Kraft Heinz Company. As one of the largest operating food companies in the world, it’s no surprise that the corporation has its hands in the international soup market.
The food manufacturing conglomerate is especially renowned for its lines of condensed soups, specifically those sold under the Heinz brand name.
While Heinz is world-famous for its ketchups and condiments, their soups don’t fall far behind. The 152-year-old food processing company markets a selection of classic stews and bisques, broths, pot soups, no sugar added soups, and quick-cooking soup cups.
Among some of their best selling and most popular flavors are the cream of tomato soup, vegetable soup, lentil soup, chicken and vegetable soup, minestrone, no added sugar cream of tomato soup, potato and leek soup, spiced butternut squash and chickpea soup, cream of chicken pot soup, and tomato and basil cup soup.
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General Mills. Golden Valley, United States
Annual revenue: $17.63 billion
Number of employees: 35,000
If your childhood favorite was a can of traditional, hearty chicken noodle soup, then the chances are that you’ve probably enjoyed one of General Mills’ world-famous stocks. As the owner of Progresso, one of America’s favorite soups, General Mills is a leader among soup manufacturers and ranks as the third-largest soup brand in the world.
Founded in 1925 by Vincent Taormina and Joseph Uddo in New Orleans, Louisiana, Progresso has been pleasing pallets for nearly 100 years. The brand is best known for its impressive line of soups, broths, chili, beans, and other canned products.
Progresso soups are made using authentic family recipes and celebrated by millions of customers across the globe for their premium taste and high-quality ingredients, including antibiotic and hormone-free chicken in their 36 chicken soup varieties.
In recent years, Progresso has seen steady sales increases due to their larger than average soup cans and their distribution of ready-to-heat soups rather than condensed canned soup.
Although the Progresso brand certainly leads General Mills’ soup sales, they also market and manufacture soup under the Annie’s brand. Unlike Progresso soup, Annie’s offers entirely organic broths and bisques and is known for being kid-friendly.
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Campbell Soup. Camden, United States
Annual revenue: $8.69 billion
Number of employees: 19,000
Campbell’s Soup has been a family favorite for more than 150 years, so it’s no surprise that the label ranks as the fifth most popular soup brand globally and one of the largest food processing companies in the United States.
The Campbell Soup Company has grown significantly since being founded by Joseph Campbel in 1869. Today, the company’s traditional red and white logo and can design is considered an American icon, and the brand boasts impressive sales.
With 440 million cans of Campbell’s Soup sold each year, it’s estimated that 95 percent of American households have at least one Campbell product in their home at any given time.
Among the most popular soup varieties include tomato, clam chowder, Mexican style chicken tortilla, Maryland style crab, and chicken noodle soup, as well as the brand’s line of condensed soups.
In addition to the Campbell Soup Company’s line of best-selling and award-winning soups, the food conglomerate also sells several other meals, baked goods, beverages, and snacks through their Pepperidge Farm, Snyder’s-Lance, and Pace Foods brands.
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Conagra Brands. Chicago, United States
Annual revenue: $7.83 billion
Number of employees: 16,500
Ranking as the sixth most popular soup brand globally is Conagra Foods, the owner of the popular soup line Healthy Choice.
With a mission of providing quick and easy to prepare healthy food options to the masses, Healthy Choice has been dishing out high-quality canned soups, frozen dinners, and other refrigerated and frozen foods since 1989.
As a global leader in the soup industry, Conagra Foods’ Healthy Choice brand is most popular for its responsibly sourced and flavorful better-for-you soup options, including products for individuals on specialized diets, like low-carb, flexitarian, and gluten-free.
The company prides itself on creating soups that are both comforting and much lighter in calories than its competitors. Healthy Choice’s most popular cans include chicken noodle soup made with chicken bone broth, lentil vegetable soup made with chicken bone broth, chicken with rice soup, country vegetable soup, and vegetable beef soup.
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The Hain Celestial Group. Lake Success, United States
Annual revenue: $2.69 billion
Number of employees: 4,287
Founded in 1993, Hain Celestial ranks as the seventh-largest soup brand in the world. The company makes, markets, and manufactures soup under both the Health Valley and Imagine brands in North America, India, and Europe.
Although the billion-dollar Hain Celestial company has only been around for the past 28 years, both soup brands have been serving up steaming soups for much longer.
Founded in 1982, the Imagine Foods brand has been selling organic soups for the past 39 years. Using environmentally friendly and sustainable packaging, the brand is, perhaps, best known for its line of healthy, USDA certified organic boxed soups, broths, and cooking stocks.
Among Imagine’s best-selling products are their super reds creamy soup, light in sodium creamy butternut squash soup, free-range chicken broth, miso broth, Italian vegetables and beans soup, savory black bean soup, loaded baked potato soup, and the white bean and kale soup.
Like Imagine soups, Health Valley bisques and stocks are also best known for using organic and high-quality ingredients. The brand has grown significantly in its more than 40-year history and is now celebrated for its wide variety of no salt added and gluten-free canned soups.
Among Health Valley’s most popular blends are cream of chicken soup and chicken noodle soup.
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Amy’s Kitchen. Petaluma, United States
Annual revenue: $500 million
Number of employees: 2,400
With global soup sales averaging more than 43 million cans per year, it’s no surprise that Amy’s Kitchen is one of the top soup brands in the world. As the globe’s eighth-largest soup label, Amy’s Kitchen is celebrated as a family-owned and privately held company manufacturing organic and non-GMO foods.
Founded more than 30 years ago by Andy and Rachel Berliner in their California farmhouse kitchen — and named after their daughter, Amy — Amy’s Kitchen has grown significantly since 1987.
Today, the brand offers more than 35 different soup varieties, including fan favorites rustic Italian vegetable soup, Thai coconut soup, tortilla soup, split pea soup, and fire-roasted southwestern vegetable soup.
Unlike other leading soup manufacturers, Amy’s Kitchen is committed to using only the freshest farm ingredients and only markets vegetarian products, including more than 120 vegan products and about 130 gluten-free goods.
In addition to canned soup, Amy’s Kitchen also manufactures frozen meals, burritos and wraps, pizza, grain bowls, pot pies, veggie burgers, chili, beans, salsa, and sauce, pasta, and more.
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Baxters Food Group Limited. Edinburgh, Scotland
Annual revenue: $296.2 million
Number of employees: 1,500
Next on the list of the world’s largest soup brands is Baxters Food Group Limited, or simply Baxters, a Scottish food processing company that specializes in canned soups, pickles, sauces and vinegars, and other canned foods and condiments.
Founded in 1868, Baxters has remained a private family-owned company for four generations. In its 153 year history, the company has expanded significantly and now owns several brands and manufacturers and markets its products in every major region across the globe.
The company offers many soups, including a line of “Super Good” broth and bisque blends, several vegetarian soups, Super-Licious Pots, and Chef Selections.
Their newest products to hit the shelf are a selection of plant-based vegan soups, including a Sri Lankan sweet potato soup, a jackfruit, three-bean, and chipotle chili, and a butternut squash and lentil dhansak soup.
With a mission to be different and better, Baxters prides itself on using carefully sourced ingredients and age-old family recipes to make more than 150 different products.
Nissin Foods USA. Osaka, Japan
Annual revenue: $4.25 million
Number of employees: 7,505
Rounding out the top 10 world’s largest soup brands is the Nissin Food Products Company, headquartered in Japan. Founded in September 1958, Nissin Foods has become world-famous for manufacturing and marketing a comprehensive line of Asian soups and ramen products across the globe.
The Nissin Food Products Company prides itself on being the creators of the original instant ramen and is one of the best-known distributors of instant chow mein, ramen, and noodle soups.
The million-dollar company’s best-selling products include Tap Ramen Chicken, Cup Noodles Chicken, Cup Noodle Original, and Hot and Spicy Chicken.
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