I love soup. I can eat it anytime, winter or summer. Granted, in the summer I might be a sweaty mess after polishing off a bowl of chili, but in the winter I welcome the heat of a good bowl of hot soup.
I really needed that feeling the other day at work. It was bitterly cold outside. So cold that most of us didn’t bother taking off our winter scarves while we worked at our desks. When lunchtime rolled around and my feet and fingers were still chilly, I remembered the Spicy Black Bean & Kale Soup that Pacific Foods sent me to try a few weeks ago.
I’m no stranger to prepared soups. I make a mean minestrone, but I like variety and I don’t like leftovers. I’d rather open my cupboard and choose the flavor I want, knowing that I’ll get a filling meal with little effort (and no leftovers, since I usually eat both servings at once). I have a few favorite brands, and Pacific Foods is one of them. The Oregon-based company makes soups, prepared meals, non-dairy milks and other products. The aseptic containers are recyclable, and you don’t have to worry about a bunch of strange additives and preservatives. These are all good things in my book.
So, how was the soup? I ate it straight up and I have to say, it was good. To start, the ingredient list reads almost like a soup recipe you’d find in a cookbook:
INGREDIENTS
- WATER
- BLACK BEANS*
- TOMATOES*
- KALE*
- ONION*
- CORN STARCH*
- CARROTS*
- CELERY*
- GARLIC*
- SEA SALT
- APPLE CIDER VINEGAR*
- CHILI POWDER (CHILI PEPPERS*, SPICES*, SALT, GARLIC*)*
- SPICES*
*ORGANIC
The soup itself is pretty thick and definitely has a good spicy kick. I tried it straight up, and it was great as is. Adding a bit of guacamole or vegan cheese wouldn’t hurt, but isn’t necessary. And who doesn’t love extra greens? The kale added a nice touch.
At 120 calories, no fat, and 7 grams of protein and fiber per serving, the nutrition profile is good. On the downside, like most prepared soups it is not low in sodium, so keep that in mind. But overall, if you are looking for a hearty soup that will warm you up on a cold day, this is a good one to try.
To celebrate National Soup Month Pacific Foods would like to share some of their vegan soups with a lucky Chic Vegan reader! Follow the instructions below to enter. U.S. residents only, please. Contest ends at midnight EST on January 29th. Good Luck!
One with lots of veggies and beans!
Pinto bean chili soup or tomato soup!
I love Pacific Foods Tortilla Soup base with lime, avocado and corn chips.
My favorite type of soup is….. barley vegetable!
That’s a tough question, it depends on my mood. Sometimes I want something thick and smooth like Carrot Ginger, sometimes hearty lemony lentil and sometimes something brothy and savory.
Love a loaded veggie soup, with beans, and either rice or small pasta. Favorite is the “what’s in the fridge soup”.
Bean Soup!
Tortilla soup, split pea
Lentil soup is my favourite.
My favorite soup, wow is hard to say because I love soup! I love Seaweed soup (Miyeok guk), Soybean paste soup (doenjang guk), Korean cabbage soup (baechu guk), and butternut squash soup among others.
What soup ISN’T my favorite?! Veg Pho, creamy broccoli, tomato, basic vegetable, butternut squash, the list goes on… : )
I’m partial to lentil with bitter greens, but I have no all-time favorite. My favorite live soup is curried spinach/celeriac, served with a drizzle of olive oil and a handful of sunflower greens.
I am really into any kind of lentil soup. If I HAD to pick a favorite type, it would probably be daal. Yum!
chunky veggie
Corn chowder!
Tomato or Split Pea, but I really enjoy a Butternut Squash or a Thai Coconut soap as well.
I made a vegetarian soup that is similar to the Olive Garden soup that has sausage in it. I’m not sure what it is called, I always called it sausage soup. Although that is my favorite I tend to always make a vegan pasta fagioli.