This Gross-Sounding Campbell’s Soup Was Once A Holiday Staple

Fish soup? Perfectly acceptable as a meal. A creamy seafood soup, prepackaged so you can keep it in your pantry for months (or years) on end, on the other hand? Not exactly my ideal meal.

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Apparently, that line of thinking isn’t shared by everyone. In fact, for decades, there was a Campbell’s Soup sitting on grocery store shelves that was steamy, creamy, and packed with seafood flavor. That condensed soup sure sounds disgusting to me — but, after recently getting the axe and joining Campbell’s long line of discontinued soups, its fans are vocal and seriously disappointed.

Campbell’s Cream of Shrimp: A Fishy Spin on the “Cream of” Line

Like me, you’re probably no stranger to Campbell’s Cream of soups, particularly staples like Cream of Onion, Cream of Mushroom, and Cream of Chicken, all of which pop up in dip, slow cooker, and casserole recipes. These canned condensed soups may not be your go-to when you want an easy bowl of soup, but their flavor adds quite a lot to dips, sauces, and so much more.

But I’m willing to bet you probably haven’t cracked too many cans of Campbell’s Cream of Shrimp Soup.

Yes, you read that right. This gross-sounding Campbell’s Cream of soup was actually a longtime staple right up until late 2025. It sat on store shelves right alongside the usual suspects — but unless you happened to have a fondness for this particular soup or needed it for a recipe, odds are you skipped right past it.

Cream of Shrimp was never one of Campbell’s most popular picks. However, it was used by a surprising number of people. Just like its fellow Cream of soups, this condensed canned version did appear in certain recipes as a key ingredient to impart flavor (yes, a noticeable shrimp flavor) and enhance everything from dips to casseroles.

Cream of Shrimp Was Surprisingly Versatile — and Popular

Even though Cream of Shrimp may not have been on your radar (or mine), this Campbell’s soup was actually pretty versatile. In fact, it was a staple in a number of holiday recipes and longtime family recipes in certain areas of the U.S., with regional dishes in particular tied to its shrimp flavor.

Fans of the soup came out of the woodwork once it began disappearing from store shelves, dropping comments like “I’m so sad. This was a staple in our Shrimp Dip for the past 50 years, a recipe passed down from my mother.” As another Cream of Shrimp buyer summed it up, “[I’m] literally so depressed because my favorite recipe from my late grandmother Shrimp Casserole has this soup in it and now I’ll never be able to recreate it again.”

That’s because a surprising number of shrimp-centric dishes were reliant on Campbell’s Cream of Shrimp, including holiday shrimp soups, shrimp dips, and shrimp casseroles. 

And it was actually a key ingredient in a popular restaurant chain’s dish: According to Reddit users, Red Lobster’s Ultimate Fondue relied on Cream of Shrimp as its base for flavor and a creamy, dippable texture. (And yes, that’s disappeared from the menu too, just like the soup itself, though the Ultimate Fondue was discontinued first.)

But, as fans of the soup pointed out, it wasn’t just reserved for holidays. Some noted that it was part of “comfort dishes” made with Cream of Shrimp, actual shrimp, and rice. Others pointed to even more creative uses, such as a “Whole head of cauliflower, then the soup” and seasonings like garlic, pepper, and onion, to make a quick meal. 

Who knew Cream of Shrimp was such a pantry staple? Fans of this discontinued Campbell’s soup are still searching for the perfect replacement to recreate their recipes. And now, we all know a little more than we ever wanted to know about this former creamy, shrimp-y soup.