Cup-a-Soup & Souptime instant soup mixes were hot lunch options in the 70s & 80s

Cup-a-Soup debuted in 1972, and became a super-quick lunchtime staple (1972)

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Starting in the ’70s, making soup became easier than ever — you could just empty an envelope of dry soup mix into a cup. Once you added boiling water and gave it a quick stir, you’d instantly have a hot serving of soup.

Two of the most popular brands were Cup-a-Soup (from Lipton) and Souptime (Nestle’s version) — but in the 1990s, even Campbell’s got into the game with their dry mix packets made for kids. 

These powdered mix envelopes offered tasty flavors like Chicken Noodle, Cream of Chicken (a personal fave), Cream of Mushroom, Tomato, Pea, Beef Noodle, and French Onion.

Here’s a warm and delicious look back! (Did you have a favorite flavor? Tell us in the comments!)

Introducing: Cup-a-Soup. The first real soup you cook up in a cup instantly. (1972)

Now you can make real soup in 8 seconds with Cup-a-Soup, from Lipton.

Just empty an envelope into a cup, add boiling water. Stir. And in an instant, you get a single serving of real soup.

You’ll love all 5 flavors: Chicken Noodle, Tomato, Pea, Beef Flavor Noodle, Onion.

Introducing Cup-a-Soup-1972


Cup-a-Soup varieties: Kids can pick a soup! (1972)

Unless you are a very lucky mother, the beginning of the school year is filled with lunch bucket problems, especially when it comes to getting a hot, nourishing food included with the sandwiches and fruits.

Compounding the difficulty is the fact that different children have different tastes.

Lipton Cup-a-Soup can solve it all for you — and so easily. Just empty a packet into a small thermos, add a cup of boiling water, and stir.

There are five varieties, each packaged four packets to the box: chicken noodle, beef noodle, tomato, onion, and green pea.

Cup-a-Soup debuted in 1972, and became a super-quick lunchtime staple (1973)

Each one bursts instantly into a hearty soup, well-seasoned and “drinkable.” So, you see, you can make five different kinds at the same time, if you wish, without wasting an extra moment or movement, and without using any utensils except a teakettle and a spoon.

ALSO SEE: Onion meatloaf, vintage-style: The soup mix recipe from 1964

These soups are equally delicious to the adult palate. For a quick energizer, a light lunch, a mid-afternoon snack, or an appetizer course at dinner, your shelf of Lipton Cup-a-Soup 1s ready to serve you at a moment’s notice. (Incidentally, the onion soup packet will make 1/2 pint of onion dip for your pupu table too.)

Lipton Cup-a-Soup is now on the shelves of markets and supermarkets throughout Hawaii. – Honolulu Star Bulletin (September 19, 1972)

Cup-a-Soup debuted in 1972, and became a super-quick lunchtime staple (1974)



Vintage Nestle Souptime soup mix envelopes (1978)

Introduce your family to the 10-second soups with home-style stock

The secret of great-tasting homemade soup? Good stock.

The secret of great-tasting Nestle Souptime? Our unique home-style stock that brings out all of the natural flavors of the meat and vegetable ingredients. 

Nestle Souptime instant soups. Look for our faces on the shelf.

Souptime soup mix envelopes for a quick, warm meal (1978)

ALSO SEE: How to whip up a batch of the original Chex party mix from the swingin’ sixties & seventies (plus 6 vintage variations)


Cup-A-Soup for a quick, warm meal (1978)

Want a quick pick-up on cold winter days — without fussin’? Try a Lipton Cup-A-Soup.

You’ll find four hearty flavors — each tastier than the last. All you do is all boiling water to one packet of Cup-A-Soup for a tummy-warming treat.

Cup-A-Soup for a quick, warm meal (1973)


Lipton Cream of Chicken instant soup mix (1979)

Lipton Cream of Chicken instant soup mix (1979)

YOU COULD TRY THIS: Garden chicken for two, made with instant soup mix (1982)


Souptime instant soup skeptics (1978)

The instant soup skeptics are starting to believe.

They thought the church supper soup was homemade. But it was Nestle Souptime.

“Instant soup? I thought it was cooked in here.” — FUAD MUKHTAR

“It does not taste like it took 10 seconds!” — VERLYN WILS

“It tasted very homemade.” — CONNIE BRAGG

“You’re kidding. Is it an instant?” — CAROLE KUBLY

“I thought that anything that delicious had to be done from scratch.” — CAROL LANG

“It was good. I was just shocked to realize that it’s an instant..” — ED LUPBERGER

Nestle Souptime. Home-style stock makes it taste almost too good to believe.

Souptime instant soup skeptics (1978)


Anytime you’re hungry — think Lipton Cup-a-Soup (1979)

When you’re having lunch with your typewriter.
To check your hunger ’til dinner.
As a great, great snack with the late, late show.

It’s American’s right-now soup!

Anytime you're hungry-think Lipton Cup-a-Soup - 1979


Lipton International Soup Classics dry soup mixes (1986)

Gourmet soup flavors, including California Cream of Broccoli, Creme of Mushroom A La Reine, Cream of Asparagus Parisenne, Lobster Bisque and New England Clam Chowder.

Lipton International Soup Classics dry soup at ClickAmericana com (1986)


Souper Stars & teddy bear dry soups from Campbell’s (1991)

New Teddy Bear dry soup fills your bowl with over 200 bears. New Souper Stars dry soup has hundreds of stars in three different sizes: big, bigger and small. Both fill your bowl with noodles and fun and Campbell’s famous chicken soup.

Campbell's dry soup mix for kids from 1991 at ClickAmericana com

DON’T MISS: 20 recipes from Campbell’s emergency dinner cookbook (1968)

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