Italian Tomato & Mascarpone Soup - Morrisons

It's lunchtime! And thanks to the invention of canned products I have a few lunches stashed away in my desk draw at work. My soup of choice today is a can of tomato and mascarpone, made by Morrisons from their signature range. It always makes me chuckle when you see the supermarkets branding their more premium range of products, Tesco with its Finest range, Sainsbury's with its Taste the Difference, Asda with its Extra special range, and now Morrisons with the Signature range. Its like they have a guy sat there thinking of ways to make things sound a bit premium in a variety of ways, that guy must of got an A* in English...

Back to the soup! I wonder if this simple soup combination of flavours will match that of the great Heinz tomato classic, lets find out...

The verdict:

This is more than a soup, this is a taste sensation! wow! My taste buds are blown! It opened up a world of imagination in my mind. I couldn't work out if I was eating a pasta bake sauce, or a slice of cheese pizza?! It tastes just like a real Italian pizza base sauce. A soup that tastes like pizza... this is what dieting dreams are made of! 

The creamy texture mixed with the sweet juicy tomato chunks just melt in your mouth. Its perfectly seasoned and has that Italian herb touch to it, its not at all over bearing it has just the right balance. I honestly cant fault this soup. All I can really say is if you don't like pizza don't try this soup, and if you don't like pizza, what is wrong with you?!!?

Souper rating: 5 out of 5 - There is a God out there. He/She works at Morrisons and invented a relatively healthy soup that tastes just like pizza. God bless you soup inventor.

Lentil & Bacon Soup - Marks & Spencer

Soup time is upon us and I'm feeling hungry as usual. Its safe to say I do as my body tells me when I'm hungry, I've always been told this is the right thing to do. Food is fuel, no matter what diet you are trying to follow you need to eat food that fulfills you and satisfy's your bodies needs.
I guess from that you can tell I'm still on the fitness wagon, just. I did a 5km run at the weekend, I felt so good for it! I felt energised and my motivation levels went up so much! I know I can do this I've done it before... but why is it when I got back from my run, all I wanted was a cookie?! Whats that about?? I know after running/exercise your body craves salt and sugars to replenish the loss during the run, but why did it make me fantasise about cookies? I don't even really like them. So I gave in, one cookie won't hurt, will it?

Today's souper treat is a can of lentil and bacon soup, made by Marks & Spencer. I'm really looking forward to trying this, I was sold by the wholesome photo stuck on the front of the can. Good old M&S hasn't failed me yet so hopefully this soup wont disappoint.

The verdict:

Just as I thought... WONderful! M&S has done me proud and made my lunch time one I will want to have again! And for £1 this really is a bargain soup.

The flavours are subtle, there is no spice but that's not what should be expected. Its a traditional combination of green lentils and bacon bits. I was a little dubious when I read through the ingredients, as when I started reading words that I didn't understand, It caused concern, what is it I'm actually eating? Thankfully for M&S the flavour of the soup has managed to sway my mind. Or have I been brain washed by the perfectly seasoned soup, with its chunky bits of vegetables and salty bites of gammon and bacon. All my doubt disappeared after each mouthful, I'm not sure this is a good thing but I'm going with it for now, I'm hungry after all.

Souper rating: 3 out of 5 - If I understood what some of the ingredients were I may have given this soup an even lower rating, but I enjoyed the soup and all its additives. It was my choice at the end of the day, and just like everyone else in this world who have that choice to eat it or leave it, I chose to eat. 

Maris Piper Potato & Leek Soup - New Covent Garden Soup Co.

It's Friday and I'm feeling fresh! Can't wait for the working week to be over, it's been a tough one...
But that doesn't matter as it's Souper time! Time to get my soup on and try another delight. Today I have chosen a potato and leek soup made by New Covent Garden Soup Co. I'm usually satisfied with this range. The ingredients used are always fresh tasting and in abundance. As it's Friday I really don't want to be disappointed so I decided paying a bit more than usual and going for a classic flavour from their range.
I love a good leek and potato soup, it makes you feel all warm and comforted inside. I always find its great when you having a really sickie day and cant stomach meat or anything to tasking.
Before I get tasting I wanted to gain some really important knowledge, get a bit more educated about soup... so i Googled - 'who invented soup?' - This is what I got...

Doctor John T. Dorrance, a chemist with the Campbell Soup Company, invented condensed soup in 1897. Today, Campbell's Tomato, Cream of Mushroom, and Chicken Noodle Soup are three of the most popular soups in America.

I never thought about this sort of thing, but it turns out its actually very interesting. The fact soup was invented by a doctor makes me think about the link between craving soup when you are ill or under the weather... maybe this is the connection? Maybe this is where the association started? Should I add this to Wiki? Too far me thinks.

The verdict:

I can definitely say I feel comforted this lunchtime, be it a little sleepy now, but definitely fulfilled. It's exactly what it says on the box, potato and leek. It's got a subtle flavour which could do with a little more salt, but the pepper makes up for that loss. The peppery tones work really well with the potato adding a bit of a kick to the taste. The basic simplicity of this soup make it. There's little to no gimmicks and it straight to the point - leek and potato - like it or lump it.

Souper rating: 4 out of 5 - Pure comfort in a bowl! A joyous soup, but when a sprinkle of salt is added it turns your new best friend... that you can eat.

Broccoli & Stilton Soup - Crosse & Blackwell

soup

suːp/

noun

1. 1.

   a liquid dish, typically savoury and made by boiling meat, fish, or vegetables etc. in stock or water.

   "a bowl of tomato soup"
2. 2.

   a substance or mixture regarded as resembling soup in appearance or consistency.

   "the waves and the water beyond have become a thick brown soup"

verb

informal

1. 1.

   increase the power and efficiency of an engine or other machine.

   "a souped-up Ford with big rear wheels"

Today I wanted to understand the word 'soup' correctly so I turned to Google, good old Google definitions. It's so brilliant its pulled up the informal usage of the word - 'souped-up' - Makes me think of a teenage chatting about how sick their car is. Surely this is a urban dictionary term?
Anyway on to the soup... I have chosen a can of broccoli and stilton soup made by Crosse & Blackwell. I cant say I have ever tried this brand before, but today it caught my eye, partly because of the flavour but more importantly it won a Good Housekeeping award! AND it's celebrating the best of British by using British produce. I am always sold by products that support home grown ingredients instead of ones that have been imported from Australia, and been frozen for a billion years. Eat British is what I say, support the country you live in by buying produce made by people local to you. I know this can't always be a choice, but when it is, why not?

The verdict:

Good god! Who in their right mind gave that an award?! Seriously. From the moment I opened this deceivingly good looking can I was sure this wasn't going to end well. It was like pouring out moldy angel delight into my bowl. It wobbled like jelly and smelt like death. I hoped this would all be forgotten upon tasting... Nope, still awful! I've eaten stilton and broccoli soup before and its been a pleasant experience, that may have been because it was homemade. But still, surely an award wining soup shouldn't be so disturbingly bad.It tasted sour and musty, the broccoli had no flavour at all, they were mushy green chunks covered in the sour stilton, I think the broccoli may have actually been decaying. I cant see any goodness in this soup. I better stop my ranting there as I think you get the picture.

Souper rating: 0.5 out of 5 - That half a point is purely for the brand design, other than that I wouldn't even eat this if the world was ending and I had one can left to survive off. Sorry Crosse & Blackwell. 

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!

Spicy Lentil Soup - Marks & Spencer

I'm half way through the week and I'm feeling good. The lunchtime soup stretch is really working. I'm getting all the goodness, feeling full, and I haven't felt bloated in 2 weeks now! Soup is my new best friend! 

Today I have chosen a tub of Marks & Spencer's finest fresh soups. Every time I've had one from their fresh range i haven't been disappointed... So there's still a chance it could happen. There are so many to chose from, but I decided to go for spicy lentil and I'm rather excited! I love spice and I love lentils, what could possibly go wrong? 

The verdict:

Yet again good old M&S has proven to be a success! 

This wonderful soup is not only full of lentils but it's full of chunky vegetables. It's a perfectly balanced cross between an Indian dhal and a traditional soup. The spice is subtle but still has a kick, it's a great introduction to spice for someone slightly weary of it. 

My only issue with this soup is the portion size. I'm sure I have said it before but it's just too much in in tub. It contains 2 portions, so if you buy one for lunch then you have to consume your second portion within 2 days. For some people that might be ok but for me I like variety. Lunchtime is special, it's precious time, so I like to make the most of it and keep excitement in my life and constantly try different things. 

Souper rating: 4.5 out of 5 - if there was an opportunity to be a soup ambassador for Marks and Sparks I would be first in the queue for the job! 

Beef Broth Soup - Heinz

Soup soup soup! Some people think I'm mad just eating soup everyday, but I just don't see the madness, maybe because I'm mad already, or maybe it's just because I'm mad about soup. It's all too much madness!!

Today's souper treat was bought whilst I was en route to work, from a Tesco express. I was really surprised by what they had to offer, there was such limited stock. Yet right opposite there was rows and rows of every kind of crisp you could imagine. I know in the grand scheme of things crisps are probably a lot more popular than soup, but surely that's because the demure soup isn't given the chance it deserves... Never the less I had a few to choose from. The only brand on offer was Heinz, the original canned soup provider. I wasn't over enthralled by this as I was hoping to try something different today. Oh well Heinz it is! I chose a beef broth, I know this is a broth but it says soup on the can too. I don't really know the difference between the two so I turned to good, old, reliable Wiki;

Broth is a liquid food preparation, typically consisting of water, in which bones, meat, fish, cereal grains, or vegetables have been simmered.^[1] Broth is used as a basis for other edible liquids such as soup, gravy, or sauce. It can be eaten alone or with garnish. If other ingredients are used, such as rice, pearl barley or oats, it is then generally called soup.

So there you have it. Soup started off life as a broth. Thank the Lord for broth! 

The verdict:

Heinz you did it again! Nom! 

This turned out to be a great lunch, this wonderfully warming broup (broth/soup) has proved it will keep the wolves from the door until dinner time. 

It had a fantastic rich flavour, with tasty pieces of carrot and potato, perfectly seasoned. You can really tasty the broth too, there isn't chunks of beef but that's not what I was expecting. What I was expecting is just what I got. A bold beefy flavour that developed with every mouthful. To top it all off the presence of the notorious pearl barley was actually a pleasant touch. Sometimes I find pearl barley can be really starchy and turn squidgy, or taste like you are having sugar puffs, but just the puffs, not the sugar. 

Souper rating: 4 out of 5 - Good soup, I just think there's a little to many of those puffy barley things. Thanks again Heinz!