Soup and sardines, why not?

What to get: a can of Wolfgang Puck organic roasted red pepper with tomato soup and a can of sardines
Where to get it: your close to home chain-type supermarket is very likely to have it all; we've also found some awesome soups at Big Lots - worth giving it a try! 

Why we approve: This soup is a way to save yourself some kitchen trouble and provides a ton of flavor and a couple of servings of organic cooked vegetables. It tastes delicious - in fact,  for canned (or any) soup, it gets a 10.  You get 170 tasty calories, and has an acceptable 8 grams of sugar. The ingredients are very close to what you would use at home, save for a few thickeners. This soup is an excellent side for a more plain type of protein, such as a piece of grilled chicken, or a cup of cottage cheese.

 

Preparation: open the can, pour the contents in a pan and warm over medium heat for a few minutes.

If you are having this soup with sardines, like I did, open the can, drain, mix the sardines with some lemon juice and black pepper and enjoy on the side.

Variations: In the picture, you can see the soup seasoned with some Parmesan cheese. Feel free to have it with some cheese on the side, if calories permit. You could thicken this soup with corn, cooked carrots, shredded beef, it's up to you and the type of leftovers you have in your fridge. Great accompaniments are: grilled chicken or turkey breast, cottage cheese, string cheese or some roast beef.

Pros: great taste at a reasonable price, 2 minutes from can to spoon.

Cons: this soup is a bit heavy both on calories and carbohydrate

Tomato Bisque – Boxed Soups from Big Lots?

I have to admit that I wasn't thinking healthy or delicious when I decided to try a box of soup from Big Lots, but here I am writing about it! As I hope is obvious, we aren't a typical review site; we do review foods, but if we don't like them, why bother putting them up? We focus on the positives so you can grab and go!

As you can see in the picture, there's some cheddar on the plate. I was actually craving that grilled cheese and tomato soup feeling from childhood, but I don't find grilled cheese to be worth the calories. I sliced up two ounces of extra sharp cheddar from Trader Joe's, and it hit the spot. Sharp cheddar and tomato soup are great together!

Tomato Soup and Cheddar


What to get: 1 32oz box of Imagine Bistro Organic Fire Roasted Tomato Bisque, Sharp Cheddar Cheese from Trader Joe's or your local grocer.

Where to get it: Big Lots

Why we approve: To be honest, it's more of a snack and a comfort food, but it tastes great, and if you can be satisfied with a mug of really good tomato soup and some nice cheese, this is great. It has pretty good ingredients, few added bad guys (you just have to shake your head at the small amount of canola oil and deal with it).

Preparation: Heat the soup. Slice the cheese. Eat.

Variations: The carton contains four servings, so for dinner, you have options. Serve alongside leftover roast chicken of fish and a side of steamed vegetables like zucchini.


Pros: Delicious, thick, and rich. Resealable container. Only 120 calories per serving, but it tastes like more than that! Good stuff.

Cons: The soy sauce in the soup contains some sketchy things (natural flavor, etc.), but the amount of soy sauce is likely small. Seed oils are used, but in small amounts. Their other soups proudly claim to be "gluten free," but they don't claim this one is. I don't see any gluten ingredients on there, but there might be something "hidden."

There are more Big Lots soups coming up, too! There's some good stuff to be found in some unlikely places...