Canned Tomato Soup with Crackers

Campbell’s Tomato Soup arrived in rural general stores by the 1930s, and by the 1960s and 1970s it was a fixture of the Appalachian pantry. Not just for supper — heated soup poured into a thermos with a handful of crackers in a wax bag was a warm, comforting lunch for school and field workers alike. Simple, bright, and reliable when the weather turned cold.

Ingredients

• 1 can (10.75 oz) Campbell’s Tomato Soup
• 1 can water (use the soup can to measure)
• Saltine crackers
• Optional: small pat of butter stirred in
• Optional: pinch of black pepper, dried basil

Directions

1. Empty soup into a small saucepan. Add one can of water (for a thinner lunch-pail soup) or milk (for creamier, richer soup).
2. Heat over medium, stirring frequently, until just simmering.
3. Stir in butter if using. Season with pepper or dried basil if desired.
4. For the lunch pail: pour hot soup immediately into a wide-mouth thermos. Seal tightly.
5. Pack saltine crackers separately in a cloth or wax paper bag.
6. At lunchtime, pour soup into the thermos cup and dip crackers.
7. A thermos of tomato soup provided warmth and comfort during cold mountain winters in logging camps and coal mines.

Notes

By the 1970s, the Campbell’s Soup thermos lunch was ubiquitous in rural American schools and work sites. The red can became a cultural touchstone. In Appalachia, the tomato soup thermos often replaced homemade tomato gravy in lunch pails during the winter months when canned goods ruled the pantry.