Results tagged “soup”

Healthy Choice Bean and Ham Soup

By: Lizabeth | Mar 21, 2009

When I spotted Healthy Choice Bean and Ham Soup, I decided to give it a try - after all, I probably wouldn't be making a pot of bean soup anytime soon. When I opened the can, all of the vegetables were on top, suspended in a clear broth, like some 5th grade science-fair project. Emptying the can revealed that all of the beans and their thick sediment had sunk to the bottom of the can. A quick stir in my pot combined the two layers, resulting in a soup that looked like canning liquid mixed with dishwater. Needless to say, thus far I was dreading actually tasting this soup. I heated it, poured it into a bowl, and took a spoonful.

The flavor, thankfully, is nothing like what I thought or what it first looked like. The broth has a mild smoked pork flavor, and the bean sediment thickens the broth and gives it body. There's actually two kinds of beans - navy and pink - though both were overcooked and indistinct. The carrots were practically baby-food grade mush, though the potatoes were surprisingly firm. I counted about four chunks of ham, all of which were dry and chewy. Honestly, the best part by far was the broth, and even that had the "loaded with sodium but still needs salt" syndrome.

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Campbell's Select Harvest Teriyaki Chicken Noodle Soup

By: Delia L | Mar 20, 2009

Campbell's has a dizzying array of soups in their Select Harvest line with a lot of traditional soups, but my interest was piqued by Campbell's Select Harvest Teriyaki Chicken Noodle Soup. Wondering what that might entail, I decided to see how they managed this "Asian fusion soup".

I associate Teriyaki with sweetness, but instead, the base of this soup had more of a pleasant soy sauce taste. Reading the ingredient list, I found tomato puree, but I couldn't taste it in the soup. The chicken chunks were fairly large and flavorful on the outside, but when I bit into them I found a drier texture. I really liked all the cut pieces of noodle, and the vegetable array in this soup was quite extensive with baby corn, carrots, spinach, and more. This really is a grown up, sexyfied version of Campbell's Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup.

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Nile Spice All Natural Low Fat Chicken Flavored Vegetable Soup

By: Ellen | Mar 19, 2009

What's better than soup on a cold winter day? I decided to give Nile Spice Soup cups a whirl because each portable, single-serve soup requires only the addition of hot water to cook up to a nice, hot treat. With all the different varieties - Black Bean, Cheddar Broccoli, Country Mushroom, Lentil, Minestrone, Split Pea, and Potato Leek, to name a few - this could be a soup-lover's dream. I found the soup cups for sale at $1.19 each, and picked up the Nile Spice Chicken Flavored Vegetable variety to try it out.

When I whipped up my cup o' soup, I was impressed by how tender the noodles were and how satisfying it was overall (the spiral noodle shape is a cute departure from the norm). This was definitely one of the saltier soups I've had though, both in terms of taste and with regard to the actual sodium content (28% of the daily).

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Muir Glen Organic Chicken Noodle Soup

By: Lizabeth | Mar 18, 2009

The organic movement has been widespread, and you can find an organic version of anything now, from vegetables and meats to shirts and cleaners. While I do purchase some organic things, there's a lot that I buy a "regular" version of due to cost. Muir Glen, however, has a place in my heart for their excellent tomato products. Spotting that they offer a line of soups, I decided to give one a try.

I opted for the Muir Glen Organic Chicken Noodle Soup - simple and hard to mess up. I opened the can and poured it into my pot. The picture on the front of the can shows the exact contents - chicken, carrots, celery, noodles. I heated it, poured it into a bowl, and loaded up a spoonful. The broth was delicious. It has a nice chicken flavor, with a depth of spices that I haven't experienced with other canned soups. Alas, the same could not be said for anything else. The carrots and noodles were rather mushy, the chicken was tough and had an odd red hue, and the celery was almost nonexistent. I noticed that this is also a lot less chunky than say, Progresso - while paying more for the organic seal, you're also paying for mostly broth.

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Campbell's Soup at Hand Vegetable Beef Soup

By: Emily B | Mar 17, 2009

Every winter I find myself searching for snacks that do double duty: warming and filling me up! This means copious consumption of soup! It can be cheap, hot, filling and (more often than not) quite yummy. I have seen the single serve Campbell's Soup at Hand sitting on my grocers shelf for a couple of years now, so I figured I would finally give them a try. While I usually skip canned soups due to the INSANE sodium amounts, the single serving, microwavable, convenient product grabbed my attention and demanded that I try it . So, I decided to let the sodium police off for the day, purchased a can of the Vegetable Beef and made my way home for a taste test.

The soup is very user friendly. It can be made in minutes and even features a sipping top allowing you to drink it straight from the can. Since I was at home (and prefer to eat my soup with a spoon) I poured it into a bowl, but I did appreciate the creativity of the folks over there at Campbell's. This soup is good. It's flavorful and surprisingly thick. While there were minuscule chunks of beef and veggies in it, it was mostly a thick broth. Also, I was pleasantly surprised at how generous the serving size appeared when dumped into a bowl (the can made it look like less). Overall this was a good snack. Lots of flavor, easy to make and sufficiently filling.

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Amy's Organic Butternut Squash Light in Sodium Soup

By: Emily W | Mar 16, 2009

When I hear the words Butternut Squash Soup, I have visions of thick butternut squash blending with a bit of broth and spices to make a creamy, flavorful and smooth concoction. Unfortunately, Amy's Low Fat Light in Sodium Butternut Squash Soup definitely did not live up to my expectations.

My description of Amy's Butternut Squash "Light in Sodium" Soup can be summed up as, "butternut squash infused vegetable broth." The broth has tiny speckles of squash sprinkled throughout that provide a type of texture or graininess. Furthermore, the oil floating throughout the dish is a notable and slightly unappealing addition. While the flavor was not bad, the texture and appearance was way off. In the end, I dumped about 2/3 of the can down the sink (and I hate wasting food)! The folks over at GoDairyFree.com seem to like it, but I'm with Dr. Gourmet who said:

This is a pretty good soup but wouldn't be a first choice ... It is rich tasting and has a slight spiciness to it, but the soup is a little thin.

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Pacific Natural Foods Organic Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

By: Lizabeth | Mar 15, 2009

Tomato soup is one of the first kinds of soup that I ate as a child - my mother loved that it is made of vegetables (well, I guess it's really a fruit), and I loved that it didn't actually contain any remote likeness to vegetables. Pacific Natural Foods, while already offering an amazing Organic Creamy Tomato Light Sodium Soup , has also produced a Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato "hybrid" soup. Is it worthy of a place on the stove?

The first thing that I noticed about this soup was its color. While the carton portrays a deep red, the soup is actually a dark orange. It's not that the color is off-putting, just not what I expected. I heated it up gently as this soup does contain milk, so if you boil it too quickly and too long, it could curdle. I ladled half the carton into a bowl, plopped in some Goldfish crackers, and took a hearty spoonful. This is one of the best soups I've ever tasted . The texture is smooth, creamy, and silky with a wonderfully thick body. The taste is smoky, sweet, and the red pepper really shines through, although the tomato flavor is there too. It has a bit of a kick to it - not enough to notice immediately, but as you eat, it builds in the back of your throat.

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Nissin Choice Ramen Savory Chicken Herb Flavor

By: Lizabeth | Jan 24, 2009

No Japanese food, not even sushi, has become as widely accepted in America as Ramen. And why not? It's fast, cheap, filling enough to qualify as a meal and college students who never learned to cook can make it - and it's full of salt, America's favorite condiment. Nissin Cup of Noodle Ramen Noodle Soup has 60% of the daily value for sodium - and that's why we call it DietTrash.

The folks at Nissin have realized that they could be missing out on the health-conscious market, and have thus made a new line called Nissin Choice Ramen, which are, "revolutionarily air-dried (you know, like any Italian pasta) for 80% less fat and contain 25% less sodium than regular ramen." Well, it was 31 cents for a package, so I decided to give it a go.

The instructions for cooking is simple - boil water in pot, add noodles, cook 2-3 minutes, add seasonings, slurp away. I added some frozen peas, carrots, and corn to the water since I felt as if this needed something that had actual nutritional value. The package advocates breaking the ramen block in two, but I decided to just drop it in and separate it with a fork, which worked fine. Once the noodles were cooked, I added my boullion - excuse me - herb seasonings.

My first bite told me that maybe these guys were really onto something with the air-drying - the texture is pretty much identical to regular ramen. You can tell the broth is less salty than normal ramen, and I really didn't taste any herbs, but it was decent enough. I could have added some poultry seasoning to give it a bit of depth - and if I really felt up to it, some actual chicken would have been nice. Still, I enjoyed digging my chopsticks in, slurping noisily, and making a pig of myself all in the name of authenticity.

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Campbell's Select Harvest Light Italian Style Vegetable Soup

By: Rae Pellegrino | Jan 23, 2009

Between working two different jobs, triathlon training, planning a wedding, and trying to keep my life afloat, my days are pretty hectic sometimes. When I fall through the front door at night, usually I want a nice, quick, healthy dinner that I can feel good about and will also fill me up without any fuss. A girl can only eat so many frozen dinners, so I decided to explore soups. I was drawn to Campbell's Select Harvest Light due to the amazing nutritionals. For a volume eater like me, this soup really seemed to fit the bill.

Well, it was worth a shot. Although Campbell's packed in plenty of veggies, the soup seemed to be lacking somehow. The broth was somewhat watery, and as a whole, there was not a lot of flavor in the soup. I tried to jazz it up by adding some wilted spinach, but to no avail. Unfortunately, some things just do not transition well when made "light".

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Pacific Natural Foods Creamy Roasted Carrot Soup

I have had many of soup varieties that Pacific Foods offers, from their Creamy Tomato Light Sodium Soup to their Creamy Butternut Squash Soup. Both times, I was left thinking, "I wonder if all of their other soups are this good?" Well, I am back again; but this time Pacific Natural Foods Creamy Roasted Carrot Soup is gracing my bowl.

Have you ever had Spaghetti-O's ? That is what I was reminded of when I took my first bite, except the carrot flavor of this soup is extremely prevalent in a deliciously bold way. The wholesome carrot puree is blended with filtered water, organic soymilk, corn starch, cane sweetener, natural roasted carrot flavor, sea salt, yeast extract and a touch of spices. Because of the short and nutritious ingredient list, every flavor shines through: the light sweetness, rich carrot flavor, creamy soymilk and variety of flavor enhancing spices.

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V8 SouthWestern Corn Soup

By: Tanya Patrice | Jan 21, 2009

Campbells says that for their V8 SouthWestern Corn Soup, they "take the mild sweetness of yellow corn and balance it with roasted peppers for a friendly little kick in the taste buds. No artificial flavors. No preservatives. Just the delicious, vibrant taste of a full serving of vegetables."

I don't think I could adequately describe how GOOD this soup is. V8 SouthWestern Corn Soup is full bodied, creamy, with a little spicy kick at the end of a mouthful. I was very skeptical about drinking "corn" soup - I don't like creamed corn - but this blew all doubts out of the water. I must confess though that I added a pinch of salt. This filled me up for lunch - I had the entire box which is 2 servings, and a few crackers. Forget all those Progresso & Campbell's condensed soups. After having this you will literally throw them out.

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Campbell's Healthy Request Minestrone Condensed Soup

By: Delia L | Jan 20, 2009

Normally I'm not drawn to soup because of the high salt and sometimes high fat content, but this Campbell's Healthy Request Minestrone Condensed Soup seems to defy common soup stereotype. The label claimed that the soup is 98% fat free and has 50% less sodium, so I was willing to try it.

I prepared the soup as instructed by microwave and was pleasantly surprised to find that the tomato-tinged broth actually wasn't too strong or excessively salty. The solid components included potatoes, pasta, and various beans and vegetables and were the highlight of the soup, which were tender and flavorful with the broth. The soup is hearty enough to be a meal by itself, but it would also be a wonderful side to another meal.

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Progresso Light Reduced Sodium Vegetable Soup

By: Jessica | Jan 19, 2009

Soup is one of my favorite comfort foods on a chilly, rainy day. While browsing Pathmark supermarket recently, I saw Progresso Soups were on sale for $1.22 for the 18.5 oz (2 serving) can. Browsing through the many different varieties, I quickly found one that piqued my interest, Progresso Light Reduced Sodium Vegetable Soup. I checked to make sure the ingredients were all vegetarian, as for some reason, many of their vegetable soups actually contain beef or chicken broth (this does contain egg ingredients). After seeing that nothing in there was derived from anything with a face, I was reassured and happily took home my find. I was pretty pleased ... reduced calorie, reduced sodium, reduced price.

When it was heating up, the aroma was rich and inviting, especially once it was piping hot. I took my first bite, and was very satisfied with the hearty flavor that filled my mouth. The main thing I noticed was the tomato, which makes sense as the broth is tomato-based. There were a mix of vegetable flavors which all came together rather well. It was nicely seasoned, with definite hints of garlic and onion, which were not overpowering, along with a blend of other spices.

The consistency, on the other hand, left something to be desired. Though full of flavor, the broth is very thin and unlike the mouthwatering spoonful shown on the can, it is not, shall we say, very densely populated. The vegetables were fairly large, but mushy and lacked individual flavor. They took on the flavor of the soup instead of infusing the soup with their own natural flavors. There was a fair amount of chunks of celery, carrots, and green beans, at least compared to the 10 kernels of corn I counted. The spiral pasta was also pretty sparse. If you really split one can into 2 servings, you may find yourself on a treasure hunt - navigating through the swamp in search of the golden coins.

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Amy's Organic Black Bean Vegetable Soup

By: Emily W | Aug 21, 2008

After having much success with Amy's Organic Light Sodium Split Pea Soup and Amy's Medium Chili with Vegetables, I decided it was time to merge the two ideas and taste Amy's Organic Black Bean Vegetable Soup. Would it be as tasty as the rest of Amy's products? This soup is absolutely phenomenal, surpassing all of my expectations. The appearance is dark and thick with visible chunks of corn, potatoes, carrots and onions that provide an appealing crunch in the midst of the rich black bean seasoned puree. The vegetables, which also include celery and leeks, supply such a robust flavor. No one will ever know that you spend hours in the kitchen making this hearty soup.

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Campbell's Select Harvest Vegetable Medley Soup

By: Emily W | Aug 7, 2008

The soup aisle has a LOT of options - just check out all our soup reviews, but when I saw that Campbell's Select Harvest Vegetable Medley was new on the shelves, I decided that it was time to try something different.

The flavor in each spoonful is rich, deep and the title of this soup is well deserved because a wonderful "vegetable medley" fills your mouth. The soup is chock full of fresh tasting vegetables like celery, tomatoes, corn, green beans and peas with rustic chunks of potatoes and carrots making the loudest statement. The tomato based broth contains visible bits of dried onion, parsley and garlic. My only complaint is that the vegetable variety does not come with a low sodium option.

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Amy's Organic Light Sodium Low Fat Split Pea Soup

By: Emily W | May 21, 2008

Attention all split pea lovers; you must go buy Amy's Organic Light Sodium Low Fat Split Pea Soup now! The organic peas, onion, celery, carrots and basil merge together to create a dark green bowl of savory goodness. The flavor has a very homemade feel to it. Furthermore, the texture is the traditional mushy consistency with a touch of crunch from the cooked chopped onions dispersed throughout. The ingredients create a smooth soup, which is not too watery or too thick, but just right. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the all natural flavor of this split pea delight, some may not find it salty enough. However, if you take the time to enjoy the simple combination of basil, garlic, a bit of sea salt and other pure spices, your body will thank you. Light sodium, low fat, great taste and a dieter's dreams done right!

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Pacific Natural Foods Organic Creamy Tomato Light Sodium Soup

By: Emily W | Apr 14, 2008

Soup is like comfort food to me so when I was feeling like I could use a little pick me upper, I went in search of something that seemed to be full of flavor but wouldn't cause me to blow my sodium intake for the day. While I was perusing the soup aisle I spotted Pacific Natural Foods Organic Creamy Tomato Light Sodium Soup.

The first ingredient is organic reduced fat milk, followed by filtered water and organic tomato paste. These ingredients fuse together to form a wonderfully slightly creamy texture. A sweet blend of spices shines through and the tomato flavor is delicately enhanced by organic cane sweetener, sea salt, cheese flavor, garlic powder, onion powder and white pepper. This soup is certainly not full of fattening thick creams, but it is also not just the average watery tomato soup. However, it is not a meal in and of itself. Therefore, I played around with it and every time it left me very pleased.

A big bowl of this soup was the picture perfect accompaniment to a warm, gooey grilled cheese. Another tasty way to utilize this soup is to add a mixture of fresh or frozen veggies before heating to add some crunchy bulk. Furthermore, add pasta, tortellini, cheese...the possibilities are endless! My favorite thing to do so far is to make a pasta sauce using equal portions soup and red sauce; the result is a robust and creamy creation. Regardless of your chosen addition (or lack of), this tomato soup will tantalize your taste buds, and you will not miss the sodium.

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Progresso Chicken & Wild Rice 45% Less Sodium Soup

By: Lizabeth | Mar 14, 2008

Soup is often an excellent diet food, as you can buy ones that are low in calories, full of vegetables, and fill you up inside. The salt these soups contain are often their only downfall, but Progresso has remedied this by using sea salt, resulting in a reduced-sodium soup.

I'm happy to say that I didn't find myself reaching for the salt shaker as I ate the 45% Less Sodium Progresso Chicken & Wild Rice Soup. It actually tastes more like a natural broth as compared to something made from a bouillon, and while it could use more spices, it was decent for a canned soup. There was a satisfying amount of tender breast chunks, and plenty of rice and carrots. I was also pleasantly surprised to see that that there was also tomatoes which was a welcome and colorful addition. However, I would have liked see even more vegetables - more celery and tomatoes, and the addition of peas, corn, green beans, or even broccoli. The ho-hum carrots and celery were just a bit ... boring.

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Amys Organic Medium Chili

By: Emily W | Feb 27, 2008

Amy's Organic Medium Chili is, "a milder chili, made from organic red beans and tofu, in a flavorful Mexican sauce, for those who want the taste of chili, but not the heat." It is vegan, kosher, gluten-free and contains organic ingredients with no added MSG or preservatives.

This is my first experience of a chili made with tofu instead of meat and I found that while the tofu is not completely noticeable, there was a slight difference which I think other tofu novices like myself might notice. Not a bad difference though, so don't let that fact put you off. The flavor is slightly spicy, but will not cause steam to come out of your ears or anything. Furthermore, if you do not like beans, pass on this one because they seem to take up at least half the dish (red beans is the first ingredient).

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Health Valley Split Pea and Carrot Soup

By: Caroline Yoder | Nov 8, 2007

It seems that kids and adults alike assume that pea soup are one of those nutritious foods that you're supposed to eat, but it looks really ... icky. As a devoted health-nut, however, I decided to give this notoriously nasty soup a whirl. After experimenting with tasteless dried mixes, I picked up Health Valley's Split Pea and Carrot Soup.

Most of Health Valley's soups are ready-to-eat, meaning no water is necessary. When I first opened the can of the Split Pea and Carrot variety, however, I had to check to make sure it was not condensed because the soup was quite thick. Once heated though, it thins out to a velvety consistency and ... Wow! This stuff tastes like a smooth combination of vegetables and homemade goodness. There were visible chunks of pea and carrot in each bite, and I was left satisfied when I reached the bottom of the bowl.

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