Classic Chicken Soup - New Covent Garden Soup Co.

Souper Soup time has had some soup time off. It was a much needed mental break. Why does life always seem to get in the way of the positive things you want to achieve in life? Is that too deep for a Soup blog? Possibly.
Anyways i'm back in the game and eating more soup than I ever imagined! Today's lunch was a classic chicken soup by New Covent Garden Soup Co. I would never usually pick a just chicken soup, I always think of creamed chicken being all blended with a jubbly consistency... even saying that is making me panicked about giving this a go! But for the sake of trial and error, and my mission to be more adventurous, i'm going to give this the once over!

The verdict:

I think i'm pleasantly surprised... apart from getting 3rd degree burns on my tongue! I followed the clear as mud instructions and yet this has happened. I want to blame the instructions but I may have to just blame myself for being such a pig and not having any patience. Aside from this the soup was quite nice, it wasn't jubbly as I anticipated. It was buttery and peppery, with a good amount of chicken. I find all of the soups from the New Covent Garden Soup Co. range really well seasoned, sometimes a bit too peppery, but I always think its better to have flavour rather than none at all. My only issues with this soup are the oiliness (from the butter I presume) and the chicken. The chicken is very stringy with very few actual chunks, so when you are eating this soup be warned to may be wear a bib. This isn't the be all and end all of the soup, it could just do with a few more chicken chunks and a little less butter... would be great so eaters don't end up looking like greasy pigs at lunch time.

Souper rating: 4 out of 5 - A surprisingly tasty soup, perfect for those days when you just want a comforting hug at lunch time. 

Chicken & Vegetable Soup - Tesco

Souper Soup'in time! Loving this soup experience at the moment, I'm feeling liberated trying new things, being brave, and sticking to something. That may sound silly as may this blog to some people, but If like me you have a million best intentions running around your brain but never act on them, then you will understand that by writing this blog means more to me than soup.
So here I go again...Today I have chosen a fresh tub of Tesco own chicken and vegetable soup. It looks pretty appetising, although the labeling gives it a cheap tacky kind of feel. The orangey, yellow colouring really doesn't give a good impression, my mind is already thinking this may not be a good experience...

The verdict:

Well. Hmm. This is definitely not one I will be in a hurry to have again. It just didn't taste of anything, I am really surprised, the ingredients list so many versions of chicken, from chicken skin to chicken fat... mmm sounds tasty right? wrong. I can just about taste chicken. The chunks of chicken that exist in this soup don't even look like real chicken, they look reconstituted, and they taste it too. The lack of flavour is the biggest downfall of this soup, if only they put in a few pinches of salt I think it would of made this soup so much better. Its full of vegetables, which are actually really nice, but would be even better with some salt. 

Granted the producers of this soup have thrown in some token herbs, but these still don't help with the flavour. They look like, and taste dried up and old. They add nothing to this soup. Well, that's a bit harsh, they add a scent of herb to the soup and a deceiving homemade look.

Souper rating: 2 out of 5 - The chunky vegetables save this soup, but I really wish there was just a little, just a small sprinkle of S A L T... P L E A S E. Maybe next time Tesco?

Chicken & Sweetcorn Soup - The Co-operative

It's happening, the hunger monkeys are knocking at my bellies door!
So i'm having a good day, i'm shifting weight and feeling physically good. It's always the first steps that are the hardest. Now i'm over the line, and on the fitness train and feeling really good about it... even if I am sat here wishing I had bought that creme egg that sat beautifully on the counter at the petrol station. I'll just keep that one in my thought bank for now...
Today's lunch time soup is a fresh tub of chicken & sweetcorn from the Co-operative. I'm super excited about this one! I think I love sweetcorn more than my dog, actually no I don't, I love my dog more, but when she tears the house to pieces I definitely love sweetcorn more than her.

The verdict:

Yep yep yep, that did the golden sweetcorn proud! Such a tasty soup!

When ever I think of a chicken and sweetcorn soup, I always think of the Chinese restaurant version that's watery, salty, and has chunks of funky chicken pieces with about 5 bits of sweetcorn swimming around in it. This was far different from that, it was warming and wholesome. The texture is thick but not too thick, just thick enough to feel like you are getting a real bite from your soup. It's perfectly seasoned and has a good ratio of chicken to sweetcorn. Then there's of course with the added potato that gives this a very homemade feel. My only issue once again is the tub size. why? just, why? I don't plan on sharing with anyone and I don't plan on eating this again within the next 2 days. I can moan all I like and hope that one day the soup creators out there will think of me and my lunch time dilemma. In the meantime I've left the remaining half of the soup it in the communal work fridge, maybe someone will give it a good home.

Souper rating: 4.5 out of 5 - This is one sweetcorn-a-lious soup! Thanks Co-op you've done yourselves proud!

Chicken Noodle Soup - Weight Watchers

One more day to go till the wonderful weekend arrives, and with fitness still in the fore front of my mind I'm doing good. My mood is temperamental but I guess that's the lack of sweets, cakes and carbs, I feel good for it. Honest. I think.

Anyway lunch time! I'm starving!!! I have decided to go for a chicken and noodle weight watchers Heinz special. I always see this brand and wonder if these specially designed products are really that good for people watching there weight. Do they actually help? Well my question was soon answered by none other than my mum. She did the weight watchers plan, which involves points counting and eating from the weight watchers range. She even had a cook book that had some nice recipes. It actually worked for her she lost a fair bit of weight just by following their rules. Me on the other hand, I don't like rules, I would just deviate and eat crap in protest. I'm not sure this soup will end well, but I'm going to give it a try, what's the worst that could happen? 

The verdict:

What was my mum thinking?! This is madness!! It's not soup, it's water with mini jellied eels squirming around in it. It was so off putting I couldn't eat it all. Thank god for wholemeal pitta breads! 

It was like pure water with little to no seasoning, there was a couple of bits of token sweet corn too, they had more taste than anything else in that soup.

I just don't get it, why make a soup that is tasteless and has little to no substance? Especially in this day and age where we have Jamie Oliver and co, telling us how we can eat healthy and cook food with out bursting the bank.

Souper rating: 0.5 out of 5 - This will not only help you lose weight, but it may make you feel slightly depressed. Sorry weight watchers, please just add a little salt.  

Roast Chicken Soup With Traditional Veg - Yorkshire Provender

Back on the soup! Yesterday I felt a little under the weather and decided on eating banana on toast for lunch, I soon realised why I haven't eaten this since I was 10yrs old... eurgh.
Whilst perusing the aisles of Tesco I came across some special offer fresh soups. £1 for a perfectly portioned soup, the portion size being 400g. This is what soups should be, I know I have ranted about this previously, but its true this is the right size to feel fulfilled. So I feel like i'm off to a good start, but then again some do say size isn't everything.
I have chosen to go for a Yorkshire Provender range, the roast chicken and traditional veg option. I have never heard of this range before but I am totally sold by the packaging. It's very exciting, advertising healthy facts, telling me to feel loved, oh, and that it's gluten free, I feel like i'm winning today!

The verdict:

yum yum yum! This is one tasty fresh soup, in each bite you feel like something fresh is going in. The consistency is almost stew like with torn chunks of chicken and light cubed pieces of carrot, celery, parsnip. Its full of homely comforting flavours, but that maybe because of the amount of cream added to this moreish soup. It's not too thick and not to runny, its just right, So much so I think Goldie locks would approve.

Although the veggies to chicken ratio is very acceptable, I would say they should re-evaluate the amount of leek added. Its just that bit to stringy which makes it a little hard to eat in a delicate manner. I say this as most of the time I have a desk lunch, and I am sat with colleagues whom have had the fun of seeing me with stringy green veggies all down my face today. Its not to bad though as I got enjoyment out of  the soup and so did they.

Souper rating: 4 out of 5 - A really tasty soup! I will definitely be exploring the other flavours from the range. Its healthy, tasty, and portion control has been taken into account even though I could of eaten a ton more, but that's me just being a greedy pig.