Trader Joe's Organic Pea Soup

I was quite intrigued when I noticed Trader Joe's was carrying some pre-made soups which were in the refrigerator section instead of in the canned good aisle. I was even more intrigued when I spotted and picked up the Trader Joe's Organic Pea Soup. Thanks to giving into old "childhood food fears" I learned that I really love pea soup so if I can find a convenient version to have whenever the mood strikes, it's a win for me.

 

Ideally the pea soup I'm used to has bits of ham in it, but this is a vegetarian/vegan version. But what sold me the most was the fact that this soup is very thick. I've had pea soups in the past where they're a little on the runnier side and that's just not enjoyable. This is night, thick and hearty while having a bit of texture to it. It's undoubtedly a step in the right direction if you've tried the canned version of this soup in store (you can see that review here).

 

I find it's difficult to really explain how pea soup tastes. If you've had it before, you know the flavor. It's peas ... it's carrots ... and it's whatever flavoring you put into it. Since there's no meat it's straight peas with slight sweetness from the carrots. It's very good and pleasing on the pallet.  Definitely one of my favorite pea soups that I have tried (outside of homemade).

 

A serving, 8 oz/227 g, is 90 calories or 2 points plus values.

Corn Chowder

Living in New England chowders are "the thing" but considering I'm not the biggest fan of seafood ... my love of chowders are very limited. Limited as in ... corn chowder is where it's at. Growing up my mother would make corn chowder every once in a while. My mom would make two renditions - one with cream or one with canned evaporated milk. Both are delicious - but the evaporated milk is definitely lighter.

I simmer my chowder with the corn cobs in it because it helps develop the corn flavor. The flavoring/juices are within the cob and boiling it it helps infuse that flavor ... otherwise one might end up with a slightly bland dish. If you aren't able to find corn on the cob, you can always skip and use frozen sweet corn.

The consistency of this is slightly thicker than that of a soup, but it's certainly not as thick as a stew. You could add a little cornstarch and water mixture to the end result if you're looking for it to be thicker.

 

Serves 8. 4 Points Plus Values. 1 Cup serving size.

Ingredients:

* 1 cup yellow bell pepper, diced

* 1 cup onion, chopped

* 1 tbsp margarine

* 4 medium corn on the cob, corn cut off cobs (make sure you keep cobs they go in the soup)

* 2 cups frozen hash brown potatoes

* 1 tsp olive oil

* 1 cup skim milk

* 3 cups water

* 12 oz can fat free evaporated milk

* 2 tbsp flour

* Salt, to taste

* Black pepper, to taste (you can use white pepper if you wish but I prefer black)

 

In a large soup pot over medium heat, add in olive oil and saute bell pepper and onion. Cook until onion is translucent and bell pepper has softened.

Add margarine to pan, sprinkle cooked vegetables with flour, stir gingerly until flour is cooked out and no longer visible.

Season with salt and pepper then add in corn kernels, hash brown potatoes, corn cobs and allow mixture to cook together gently for 2-3 minutes. Add in water, skim milk and evaporated milk - cover pot with a lid and allow the chowder to come to a slow boil.

Adjust seasonings and allow chowder to simmer for roughly 40 minutes.

Trader Joe’s Chicken, Barley & Vegetable Soup

Poking around Trader Joe’s refrigerated food section I stopped at their mini soup section. It had been obnoxiously cold in my area (even in spring time) and I just wanted something to warm me up. Admittedly, I’m not the biggest soup fan … but it was just something I’d been wanting, so I picked it up.  For the first time I tried beef and barley soup a few months ago (my aunt had made it) and was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was.

The fact that the soup listed barley on it is what truly caused me to pick the container up.  The fact that the container also states it’s a good source of fiber was another selling point. I guess the fact that I stand by and “believe in” Trader Joe’s products is why I assumed it couldn’t be all that bad … and I’m glad I made that assumption.  After popping the container in the microwave I let it heat through and I have to say … it was quite good. The broth was flavorful and the vegetable, barley and chicken were plentiful. The only downside was that some of the green beans were “stringy” meaning they were harder to chew and it involved picking some pieces out of bites … but that aside it was a good soup. I enjoyed it alongside a sandwich for dinner and I found it to be filling and delicious.

I don’t necessarily like premade or canned soups because I find they taste “off” but this is as close to homemade as one is going to get (at least in my opinion).

A serving is 1 cup for 100 calories or 2 points plus values OR you can have the entire container for 200 calories or 5 points plus values.

Weight Watchers Smart Ones Fire Roasted Vegetable Soup

I’m typically not a person who reaches for soup on a cold day, but lately my taste buds have been gravitating towards soups/stews.  So while the weather has been less than stellar in my area, I decided to try out one of the frozen Smart Ones soups I had tucked away in my freezer.

I have tried vegetable soups in the past, and for the most part they’re not usually my “forte” because of the tomato base. So that thought in the back of my mind was the main reason I held off on giving this soup a try sooner. I heated the soup in the microwave per the directions and enjoyed this along with my dinner.

I have to say … the soup is pretty darn good! Although with the name “fire roasted vegetables” I assumed that simply meant vegetables that have been charred over an open flame. Well … that’s the case in one aspect, but “fire” in this instance also means this soup is spicy! I certainly wasn’t expecting the heat but it ultimately made the soup that much more delicious. It certainly wasn’t that plain ole tomato base that I’m not a big fan of.

Each bowl is 60 calories or 1 points plus value.

Trader Joe’s Organic Split Pea Soup

Pea soup is wiggling its way into my favorite soup of all time. Granted, it took me over 27 years to give pea soup a try … but once I got past the “it’s green!” issue I found the soup was absolutely delicious.  So when I spotted the Trader Joe’s Organic Split Pea Soup I decided to pick a can up.

Once in a bowl and heated the soup is on the thinner side of thick. If you’re used to pea soup with ham in it, you’ll notice a definite flavor difference – which is to be expected. But if you can get past that, the soup is truly not that bad. It could be flavored up a bit with a little bit of extra black pepper. I’ll always feel homemade is so much better but this was great to have on hand for a quick and easy meal. The soup is tasty and filling, so definitely a winner in my book. As mentioned on the products label, it is both organic and vegan.

A serving is 1 cup for 100 calories or 2 points plus values. OR you could have the whole can for 200 calories or 4 points plus values.

13-Bean Soup with Chicken Meatballs

13-bean soup is a soup that I’ve been making for over 2-years … but I primarily make it for myself in the fall/winter months because that’s when I enjoy soups/stews the most.  Every time I have made the soup, I change up the flavoring a bit and incorporate different meats into it (chicken sausage, chicken meatballs, diced ham) but this last batch of soup has been the best I have made.

The one thing about this soup is that after it’s put into containers in the refrigerator the bean tend to swell up further and retain the water, so I add additional water to the serving to thin it out as much as I’d like.  I find I enjoy it best the way I make it (by not soaking the beans overnight) because it allows my soup to be on the thicker side.  After the second day I tend to put the entire batch of soup back into a soup pot and add in some boiled Jamaican dumplings. It gives it a bit more body and just makes it feel a little homier.

Serves 17. 1 cup serving. 5 Points Plus Values.

Ingredients:

• 29 oz. Bob’s Red Mill 13-Bean Soup Mix
• 1 pack Al Fresco Tomato & Basil Chicken Meatballs (16 meatballs), cut into smaller chunks
• 20 cups water, plus additional when cooking
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 pound baby carrots, cut into chunks
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 packet Goya Sazon Seasoning
• 3 packets Goya Ham Flavored Concentrate
• 1 pod Knorr Homestyle Chicken Stock
• 2 packets Swanson Beef Flavored Concentrate
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt

Empty bag of beans into a bowl and rinse. Place beans into a big soup pot and cover with water, leaving about 2 inches of liquid above the beans. Place pot onto an open flame and bring to a rumbling boil then cook for 30 minutes.  When done strain the liquid from the beans using a colander.

Spray the bottom of soup pot with non-stick cooking spray. Add in onions, celery and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add beans and water to the pot, and then stir in chopped carrots. Add in salt and black pepper.

Cover and let the mixture gently boil together for roughly an hour. Stir the mixture occasionally, keeping an eye on the water as it will evaporate and the beans will soak up some of the water.  Add 1 cup of water at a time, as needed.

Sprinkle soup with sazon and ham concentrate, stir in. Add in 2 packets of Swanson beef concentrate and gently stir in the Knorr homestyle chicken stock (make sure it melts completely).

Gently incorporate the chopped up chicken meatballs and stir to combine. Cover and allow to gently boil for an additional hour, until beans are softened and no longer hard/crunchy.

If the soup liquid starts to get low, add in 1 cup of water at a time.

Trader Joe’s Creamy Corn & Roasted Pepper Soup

When I spotted the Trader Joe’s Creamy Corn & Roasted Pepper Soup I was intrigued. I admit, I’m not the hugest fan of the idea of boxed soup … but I love corn and I especially love corn chowder, so I felt this could be reminiscent of something. More than likely a tip of the hat to my love of corn more than anything else.

I measured out my serving and heated it in the microwave. When it was done, I let it cool for a few minutes before digging in.  I have to say … I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this soup. It’s creamy, which is expected and it tastes mildly like corn, but also tastes like tomato soup, and has a bit of background spice to it.  I found 1 cup is simply too much at once, ¼ to ½ cup is more than enough for my palette at least. Not bad, but not entirely my cup of tea

A 1 cup serving is 110 calories, or 3 points plus values.

QUESTION:

What is your favorite premade soup?

Progresso Light Chicken Corn Chowder

Out of all the chowders, corn chowder is my only favorite, so when I spotted the Progresso Light Chicken Corn Chowder I picked it up. My initial thought was “a corn chowder that’s point friendly?” Count me in!

It’s not as thick as standard corn chowder, it’s more of a soup consistency, which is understandable considering it’s a light soup – but regardless it’s quite delicious. I added a bit of black pepper which really helped boost the flavor and in my opinion tied everything together. The chicken in it is “meh” as most chicken in canned soups tend to be but it’s not terrible.  On the plus side there’s bacon in it … and everything is better with bacon!  It’s tasty, hearty and has a little bit of a homemade vibe to it.  I quite enjoyed it, which is surprising since I’m not a big fan of canned soups.

Each serving (1 cup) is 100 calories which is 2 points plus, or the whole can is 200 calories and 5 pints plus values.  Worth it in my opinion.

QUESTION:

What is your favorite Progresso soup?

Smart Ones Loaded Potato Soup

I picked up a box of Smart Ones Loaded Potato Soup while at Target. I had tried the Southwestern soup and was quite a fan, so I decided to try the other available flavors.  I’m not a big soup fan in general, and I’m usually not a fan of canned soups … I just feel those soups are tinny and taste “fake”, if that at all makes sense.  But with a frozen soup it tastes better, and perhaps just in my mind, it helps make it a little homier.

The Loaded Potato soup is described as “creamy potato soup loaded with sour cream, turkey bacon, and chives, topped with reduced fat cheddar cheese.”  After heating the soup in the microwave, I gave it a swirl, let it cool for a few minutes and enjoyed. I have to say, this soup is very pleasant. The potatoes are a little “crunchy”, but they’re not raw and they’re certainly not mushy so it’s a proper consistency. It’s creamy, there are bits of cheese throughout it, and the turkey bacon is a main ingredient.  All the flavors blend together nicely and it really is a home run.  I wouldn’t say this is filling enough to be a sole contender in a meal, but with a side salad or even a small sandwich it’s a win-win.

A bowl of soup is 150 calories or 4 points plus values.

QUESTION:

Have you tried any of the Smart Ones frozen soups?

Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Soup

I picked up a container of the Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Soup a while back because it sounded delicious and the picture on the container looked as such.  With it being fall, and the soup being one of my favorite vegetables (well, squash in general), I decided to finally give this a whirl.

Opening the container and pouring it into a measuring cup, I admit I was slightly grossed out – but I have to say it smelled and reminded me exactly of baby food. Baby food weirds me out in itself – but that’s a whole other story (texture/food smell issues). Trying to not form an opinion just yet, I put the bowl into the microwave and heated it through. Taste wise its okay … but I picked up more of a pumpkin-like flavoring.  It’s creamy, it’s flavorful and a serving is 1 cup.  It’s not bad, but it’s just not my cup of tea.

A 1 cup serving is 90 calories, or 2 points plus values.

QUESTION;

What is one of your favorite soups in the market?

Trashy Taco Soup

I first stumbled upon this recipe after reading over a post on Emily Noel’s blog.  My initial thought was what on earth is this trashy taco soup?  After reading over the general gist of the recipe (see original recipe here), I decided to throw the recipe into Recipe Builder to see how many points a serving would be. I tend to be a bigger fan of stews and since this was said to be on the thicker side I was all on board.  Going through the ingredients I had on hand, I decided I would switch the recipe up just a tad and I have to say, I LOVED the end result.  It was filling, delicious and the possibilities are undoubtedly endless because it can be switched up to cater to any craving one may be having.  Here’s how I switched up mine just a bit:

Serves 8. 1 cup serving. 6 points plus values.

Ingredients:

-          1 pound 93% lean ground turkey (or if you prefer 93% ground beef)

-          1 medium onion, diced

-          1 tablespoon minced garlic

-          14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes

-          10 oz. Rotel diced tomatoes & green chiles – original

-          15 oz. canned black beans, drained and rinsed

-          15 oz. canned small red beans, drained and rinsed

-          15 oz canned corn, no salt added

-          15 oz. canned tomato sauce

-          1 envelope McCormick Taco Seasoning

-          1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch  dip

-          Trader Joe’s 21 Season Salute (or hamburger seasoning) - Optional

In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook together your ground meat, onion and garlic.  Season with 21 Season Salute or hamburger seasoning (if wanted).  Cook until onions are translucent and ground meat is cooked completely.

Transfer meat mixture to a Crock pot (or if you wish to cook it on the stove, transfer your meat to a soup pot).  Add in beans, Ro-tel tomatoes, diced tomatoes, black beans, red beans, corn, tomato sauce, ranch seasoning, and taco seasoning.  Mix together ingredients.

Set crock pot onto low, cover and cook for 6-8 hours.  45 minutes before serving I turned the crock pot off to allow the mixture to cool and thicken up just a tad.

Smart Ones Southwest Style Vegetable Soup

I spotted a line of brand new Weight Watchers Smart Ones soups while at Target. Out of the four options available, I decided to try out the Smart Ones Southwest Style Vegetable Soup for lunch. I am not much of a soup person (particularly canned soups), but occasionally I find myself wanting a bowl so I either have to make a soup or stew or pick up a quick and easy soup that I know I enjoy.

I like the idea of frozen soup because it seems more “homemade” to me. Canned soups taste almost tinny to me, so I tend to avoid those, but I have found a few frozen soups that I have enjoyed and turn into my “go to”.  This particular soup was delicious and will undoubtedly be a repurchase for me.

According to the box the soup is “a combination of fire-roasted corn & tomatoes blended with red beans, corn flour, and cilantro all topped with Monterey Jack cheese.” Most notable the soup is advertised as vegetarian and a good source of fiber – thanks to the beans and vegetables.  The soup itself was delicious. It was mildly spicy, the cheese made it creamy and it was just overall packed with flavor.  I wouldn’t say this is a complete meal in a bowl, but it is something that could be enjoyed along with a salad or sandwich in a guilt free way.

A bowl is 120 calories or 3 points plus values.  Quite worth it if you’re in the mood for something warm to go alongside with your lunch or dinner.

QUESTION:

Have you tried any of the new Smart Ones soups?

Homemade Pea Soup

Ever since I was a little girl my mother ALWAYS made pea soup.  My dad and mom loved it – my aunt makes it – everyone eats it except my brother and I would go “EWE! IT’S GREEN!!” and refuse to eat it, smell it or even taste it.  That is until a few weeks ago – my mother made a big pot of homemade pea soup and asked me if I’d like some.  At first I went “Ew, that’s gross” and I realized I’ve never truly even tasted it.  So I pulled up my Weight Watchers app on my phone, punched in pea soup and was quite surprised that it was only 4 Points Plus for a 1 cup serving.

Because the points were so low I decided to brace myself and actually give it a try.  I was surprised with how GOOD it was!  I can’t believe I’d gone 28 years without trying it before this instance.  It only had a little bit of ham, green split peas, water, 1 potato and a carrot in it.  Deliciously amazing.  I used to never be a soup person but lately I’ve been dappling into the soup world more and more (homemade – not canned) and have been finding I’m really enjoying it!

QUESTION:

What is our favorite soup?

Homemade Beef Stew w/ Jamaican Dumplings

This is my first-ever homemade beef stew.  Growing up I used to watch my mother make beef stew so I had a general gist of what to do – so I went to the grocery store, picked up my veggies, my beef and I got a jar of beef stock (it’s like a really thick jelly consistency of flavored stock that you add to water).  I’d been craving beef stew because the weather had changed and all I wanted was something warm and something to make the kitchen smell “homey.”

One thing I will say is I like my stews thick.  I’m not really a soup person so stews are right up my alley.  I know everyone varies with thickness but thankfully my boyfriend also likes a moderately thick stew so I didn’t have to make this on the watery side.  This cooked for a fair while on the stove (a little over 3 hours) so it’s definitely not one of those meals you can just throw together in a flash – but undoubtedly it was delicious!

I used 2 tablespoons of olive oil to brown my beef, and then added 2 pounds of lean stew beef and let it brown up stirring it around in the pot.  I then added in my minced garlic.  When it was almost completely browned I threw in my large diced onion.  When done, I added in water (just eyeballing since I was making a big pot).  I added in my beef starter stock – covered and let simmer for an hour and a half.  After that I uncovered the pot, added in 2 pounds of chopped potatoes and a large bag of baby carrots.  While that came back up to simmer I made my Jamaican dumplings (flour, salt and water where you knead it into a harder rough – then rolled the pieces out in the bowl and then added them into the stew.  I covered it and let it cook for another near hour.

Ten minutes before serving I added in 1/3 cup cornstarch (mixed with cold water) and stirred it to have it thicken up to a delicious and perfect consistency.

Overall TWO thumbs up!  This was SO good!  What’s funny is my boyfriend didn’t know I was going to add Jamaican dumplings to the dish so when he was served his bowl and he spotted the dumplings he went “Awe, yeah!” HAHA.  We ate it for a few days, then frozen up the remainder into separate containers for quick dinners/lunches when we don’t have any idea as to what to eat.