Canned Soup Reviews

None of us can resist the aroma of delicious, frothy chicken soup on a rainy day. The piping hot soup is indeed one of the best culinary delights invented by mankind. The rich, creamy texture of the soup satiates the taste buds of a gourmet. However, it is not always possible to concoct fresh soup recipes every time. More so, if you are a busy person or need to travel a lot. Canned soups can come to your rescue whenever and wherever you feel like having a bowl of soup. However, the myriad canned soup brands that dominate the market can really leave you confounded. Hence, read this canned soup reviews so that you can take your pick according to your taste.

Reviews for Canned Soup

Given below are the canned soup reviews for some popular (not necessarily best) canned food brands. The order in which they appear has nothing to do with the rating.

Progresso's

Split Pea
This flavor by Progresso has nice cloud green brew with little peas floating in it. It tastes simply superb when combined with coarsely chopped ham, spices, and cheddar cheese.

Chickarina
This is the ultimate soup which we all love coming back to. Delicious meat balls in good, solid chicken broth, you cannot possibly go wrong here!

Beef Barley
Nice barley flavored broth with pieces of beef (or was that a carrot?). Anyway, not bad if you are fan of beef barley soup recipes.

Beef and Vegetable
The beef is nice and lean and the vegetables soft. The beef broth flavor, though not particularly delicious certainly passes off as acceptable.

Lentil Soup
This is a fat free soup from Progresso with a smooth and chalky texture. Don't have much to say about flavor.

Potato and Ham
If you go for cheese version, it is good with a decent flavor. It's thick but contains very little of ham (though you might get lucky and find more!).

Zesty Herb Tomato
This tomato soup is smooth and has a distinct herbal flavor. Some people might find the strong flavor a bit nauseating.

Campbell's

Sirloin Burger
The broth is thick and the ground sirloin pieces are grilled to perfection. The sirloin pieces are crumbly and chewable.

Potato and Cheese and Chicken and Broccoli
Chicken, broccoli and potato are cut to right sized, though you might find chicken a little sticky rather than the dry breast chunk you are used to.

Italian Wedding
It's actually not bad at all. Mini meat balls with spinach and distinct Italian herb. Perfect, if you are looking for an unusual taste.

Chicken Rice
Standard taste, standard broth, though wedge shaped potato and carrot pieces come as a welcome change from the randomly cut pieces you are used to.

Chicken with Egg Noodles
Chicken is nice and dry and the noodles a little chewy. Overall good.

Split Pea with Ham
A typical product from Cambell's, it tastes like any other split pea soup with ham.

Wolfgang Puck's

Organic Creamy Broccoli
Delicious with a perfect texture. Neither too creamy nor too runny.

Organic Split Pea
Its taste is at par with other split pea soup brands. The broth is a perfect combination of graininess and smoothness.

Old Fashioned Potato
The flavor is superb but the broth too thick. It is recommended that you add water to it and split it in two servings.

Health Valley's

Vegetable Barley
It has a peculiar flavor of barley and the quality of vegetables is also good. Sprinkle some grated Alpine cheese for a rich flavor.

Split Pea
Passable flavor but the broth is too thick. Haven't got anything much to say about this one.

Potato and Leek
The flavor is entirely missing in this one. You will have to add a spoonful of cream and some salt before you can even consider about drinking it.

All these soups cost you pretty much the same amount. There are other soup brand's like Amy's, Pacific, Swanson, Safeway, Eating Right, ShopRite, Great Value which are comparable with the above brands. Some brands also offer your healthy, fat free varieties. However, you may not have a particularly good experience with their flavor.

Usually, it is best to stick to the brand you have always trusted with canned foods. More than flavor, go for the ingredients and quality of the soup. Since, canning involves adding preservatives, they may not be the best health food you can have. Yet, be cautious with the manufacturing date and the state of the can. Discard the can if you find it tampered or if it exceeds the expiry date.

Hope these canned soup reviews help you to choose the best one as per your individual taste and requirements.

Mung Bean Soup

Mung bean is a widely consumed legume type, eaten with or without outer skin. Call it green bean or green gram, it is a versatile bean rich in proteins. You will also find red type and split beans of the same in the market. Mung beans can be prepared as regular dishes, soups, dried snacks, pancakes, etc. While some people serve sweet mung bean soup as dessert, others prefer to have spicy mung bean soup. Wondering how to cook mung bean soup? Following are some mung bean soup recipes for you:

Sweet Mung Bean Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried mung beans
• 1/4 cup coconut milk ( or 1 tablespoon dried coconut milk powder)
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• Vanilla or cardamom pods
• 4-5 cups water

Directions for Preparation

Wash beans thoroughly and drain. In a saucepan, add mung beans, pods and cover with water. Put on the lid and simmer for 25-30 minutes. When mung beans pop their skin, add sugar. Wait till sugar dissolves completely in the soup and then, turn off burner. Before serving, add coconut milk and serve while still hot.

Green Mung Bean Soup with Spinach

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole mung beans (washed and drained)
• 10 ounces frozen spinach
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups cooked ham, diced
• 2 chilies, finely chopped
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 4 cups water
• Tabasco sauce (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions for Preparation

Add washed beans in a cooking pot and pour 4 cups water. Bring it to boil and simmer for 30 minutes, until beans are softened. On another burner, preheat a thick skillet. Add olive oil, and saute garlic, onion and chili. Remove from heat and keep aside. When beans have turned tender (or burst), add chicken broth and boil for 2-4 minutes. To this, add ham, spinach and cooked onion mixture. If required, add seasonings (salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce). Simmer green bean soup for another 10 minutes and serve.

Mung Bean Soup with Pork

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups dried mung beans, rinsed
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 tomatoes, sliced
• 1/2 cup pork belly (cut into smaller pieces)
• 2-3 tablespoons dried shrimp
• 2-3 tablespoons shrimp past
• 1-2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/2 cup greens (chili leaves)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions for Preparation

Add rinsed mung beans in a saucepan, pour water to cover beans and put over medium high heat. Bring the mixture to a boiling temperature and cook until soft. Remove from heat and allow beans to soak up water. Preheat a thick frying pan and fry pork pieces, until crisp or brown (as per your preference). Using a spoon, transfer cooked pork into a platter and return the pan (with oil) to the burner.

Saute garlic and add onion slices. Saute till transparent and add tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 minutes, and add boiled mung (along with cooking water), dried shrimp and shrimp paste. Bring the mixture to a boiling temperature and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Season mung bean soup with fish sauce, salt and pepper. Stir well, and add fried pork and greens. Simmer in low heat for 5 minutes and serve hot.

Spring Onion Soup

All of us have heard of one of the most popular soup recipes in the world, the French onion soup recipe. Well, spring onion soup is a lighter version of that delicious soup, it is light and easy to make and it is equally delicious. One can also try other variations of spring onion soup recipes. It's not exactly a variation but accompanied with tomatoes and potatoes they may be even more appetizing. People who don't care much about the calorie intake need not be disheartened. We also have a creamy version of this spring onion soup that are sure to please your palate. Nonetheless, all the recipes should be tried to know the real taste and simply judged by the ingredients. So I won't keep you waiting for long. Given below are the different spring onion soup recipes that are tasty and healthy.

Easy Spring Onion Soup Recipes

Spring Onion Soup Recipe (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• Chopped spring onions - 2 cups
• Chicken stock - 1 ½
• Extra-virgin olive oil - 2 tablespoons
• Water - 2 cups
• Salt to taste

Recipe

• In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
• Add the chopped spring onions and stir until it turns translucent. This should take about 6-7 minutes.
• Add the chicken stock, water and salt to the cooked onions and bring them to a simmer and leave it to cook or for 15 minutes.
• Remove the pot from heat and allow it to cool for sometime.
• Now puree this cooled off mixture in a blender until the texture is smooth. While putting it in the blender, do not put all of it at once. Put them in batches so that the puree turns out nice and smooth.
• Now serve the soup in 4 large bowls and drizzle some olive oil over it. Serving it with crisp flat breads on the side would be great.

Alternate Spring Onion Soup Recipe (Serves 6)

Ingredients

• Chopped spring onions - 2 cups
• Chopped sweet onions - 1 cup
• Beef Broth - 2 or 1 ¾ cups or a 14 ounce can
• Cooked chickpeas - 2 cups or a 15 ounce can
• Garlic - 2 tablespoons
• Finely chopped chives - ¼ cup
• Sherry - ¼ cup
• Chopped thyme - 1 teaspoon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Recipe

• Heat oil in a large saucepan or a pot over medium-high heat.
• Add the chopped sweet oils and stir until it starts to brown. This should take about 8-10 minutes.
• To it add the chopped spring onions, thyme and garlic. Cover it and cook until it starts to soften.
• Add sherry and pepper to the mixture, keep stirring and bring it to a simmer. Cook until it thickens.
• Add the beef broth and chickpeas and bring it to a boil and allow it to cook for about 10 minutes.
• Add the chopped chives to it once it's off the heat.
• Pour the soup in 6 large bowls and serve it with slices of toasted wheat breads on the side.

Tomato and Spring Onion Soup Recipe (Serves 6)

Ingredients

• Tomatoes - 6
• Chopped spring onions - 2 cups
• Chicken stock - 2 cups
• Water - 2 cups
• Extra-virgin olive oil - 1 tablespoon
• Worcestershire sauce - 2 teaspoon
• Paprika - 2 teaspoon
• Salt to taste

Recipe

• First of all, the tomatoes need to be blanched. So, put the tomatoes in a pot of boiling water for a minute or so and then drop them into the cold water. Peel the skin and also remove the seeds.
• Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add the spring onions and saute them until they are translucent.
• Add the tomatoes and let them cook until it becomes soft.
• Add the chicken stock, water and Worcestershire sauce to it. Also add paprika at this stage.
• Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer it for about 15-20 minutes.
• Add salt and pepper to taste and mix it a blender.
• Serve it with toasted bread on the side again.

Potato and Spring Onion Soup Recipe (Serves 6)

Ingredients

• Chopped spring onions - 2 cups
• Peeled and chopped potatoes - 2 cups
• Chicken stock - 4 cups
• Chopped sweet onion - 1 cup
• Vegetable/ Sunflower oil - 3 tablespoons
• Salt and pepper to taste

Recipe

• Heat the oil in a large pot over a medium-high heat.
• Add the chopped spring onions and sweet onions to the oil and until soft.
• Once cooked, add the potatoes, chicken stock and bring it to boil. Leave it until the potatoes cook properly.
• Remove the pot from fire and puree the mixture in the blender until smooth.

Creamy Spring Onion Soup Recipe (Serves 8)

Ingredients

• Chopped spring onions - 4 cups
• Chopped sweet onion - 1 cup
• Thinly sliced fennel bulb - 1
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Cream - 2 cups
• Water - 3 cups
• Buttermilk - ¾ cup
• Dry white wine - 2 cups
• Softened goat cheese - ¼ cup

Recipe

• Heat oil in a large pot over a medium-high heat. Add the spring onions, sweet onions and the fennel bulb to the oil and saute it until softened.
• Add wine and let it boil until it reduces to a few tablespoons.
• Now add cream and water and bring it to a simmer.
• Cook the mixture for about 10 more minutes.
• Remove it from heat and allow it to cool. Puree the mixture in the blender and add salt and pepper for seasoning.
• Mix the softened goat cheese and buttermilk and drizzle it on top of the soup when it is ready to be served.

This applies to all the spring soup recipes mentioned above. After pureeing the spring onion mixture in the blender, do remember to heat them again before you serve them. I hope you enjoyed reading about these delectable spring onion soup recipes and also that you'll try these healthy recipes and please your loved ones with your cooking skills. Bon Appetite!

Yuan Xiao – Traditional Chinese Lantern Festival Food

The Lantern Festival (or Yuan Xiao Festival in Chinese) is an important traditional Chinese festival, which is on the 15th of the first lunar month, marking the end of celebrations of the New Year.

The biggest attraction on Lantern Festival is the sea of lanterns in every conceivable size and shape. Chinese started to celebrate the Lantern Festival since the Han Dynasty (206BC-221AD), and then it became popular during the Tang and Song Dynasties. This is a festival for people to have fun. On the night, people go to streets with a variety of lanterns under the full moon, watching Lion or Dragon Dance, playing Chinese riddles and games, enjoying the typical food called Yuan Xiao and setting off firecrackers. There is really a lot of fun for the young and the old.

Besides entertainment and beautiful lanterns, another important part of the Lantern Festival or Yuan Xiao Festival is eating small dumpling balls made of glutinous rice flour. We call these balls Yuan Xiao or Tang Yuan. Obviously, they get the name from the festival itself. Made of sticky rice flour filled with sweet stuffing and round in shape, it symbolizes family unity, completeness and happiness.

The fillings inside the dumplings or Yuan Xiao are either sweet or salty. Sweet fillings are made of sugar, Walnuts, sesame, osmanthus flowers, rose petals, sweetened tangerine peel, bean paste, or jujube paste. A single ingredient or any combination can be used as the filling. The salty variety is filled with minced meat, vegetables or a mixture.

The way to make Yuan Xiao also varies between northern and southern China. The usual method followed in southern provinces is to shape the dough of rice flour into balls, make a hole, insert the filling, then close the hole and smooth out the dumpling by rolling it between your hands. In North China, sweet or non-meat stuffing is the usual ingredient. The fillings are pressed into hardened cores, dipped lightly in water and rolled in a flat basket containing dry glutinous rice flour. A layer of the flour sticks to the filling, which is then again dipped in water and rolled a second time in the rice flour. And so it goes, like rolling a snowball, until the dumpling is the desired size.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

I remember as a kid going with my folks for Chinese food. My favorite part of the meal was dipping something in the sweet and sour sauce.

The sauce I make is not smooth like what you get in a Chinese restaurant. My sauce is called Mandarin Sauce and is chunky. It does take a while to prepare, but I never have leftovers.

1 cup whole tomatoes (about 1 can)
½ cup cider vinegar
½ cup chopped white onion
1 ½ cups sugar
1 slice fresh ginger 1/8" thick
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ cup bell peppers cut up (I use green)
salt to taste
½ cup crushed pineapple.

Combine everything but the green peppers.
Bring to a boil.
Simmer 20 minutes over a low flame.
Add cornstarch to thicken.
Add bell peppers and serve

Chinese Dumpling

Chinese Dumpling is a traditional Chinese Food served during holidays in Northern China (some parts of south China). It is now becomes one of the most widely loved foods in China.

Chinese dumpling is one of the most important foods in Chinese New Year. Because its shape is similar to ancient Chinese gold or silver ingots, they symbolize wealth. Traditionally, the family members will get together to make dumplings during the New Year's Eve. In some cities, people may hide a coin in one of the dumplings. The person who finds the coin will likely have a good fortune in the New Year.

Meanwhile, Chinese dumpling is a delicious food. You can make a variety of Chinese dumplings using different fillings based on your taste. Usually when you have Chinese dumpling for dinner, you will not have to cook anything else. The dumpling itself is good enough for dinner. This is one of the advantages of Chinese dumpling over other foods, though it may take longer to make them.

There is another reason why the Chinese dumpling is popular: Chinese dumpling is often the food for sending off friends or family members away.

Chinese Style Chilli Prawns and Rice in a Rice Cooker

Owing to health and safety regulations, the only cooking utensils we're permitted are a rice cooker, egg steamer and combination microwave oven (it can do grills and roasts). I try to use these tools to provide our staff with cheap healthy meals. Local dining establishments serve low quality, expensive food, that can have a noticeably negative impact on the afternoon performance of my staff.

This dish involves a delicious combination of chilli prawns and rice. Either raw or pre-cooked prawns can be used. Though raw prawns are better for absorbing flavour from the marinade. The end result is very similar to fried rice, though a wok is not required.

I shall not list quantities in the ingredients list as I just take a guess and chuck things into the pot. Just use a sensible estimate and experiment until you have the balance of flavours that you require.

Ingredients

Prawn Marinade:
ginger
garlic
chilli (powder, flakes or fresh)
sesame oil
light soya sauce

For the rest:

rice
water
onion
mushrooms
sweetcorn
peas
Bouillon vegetable stock
spring onion

Instructions

Prawn Marinade

Chop the ginger, garlic and chilli (if fresh) finely. Mix this with the sesame oil, light soya sauce and ground black pepper. Mix the prawns in the marinade and set aside in a fridge for a few hours. If I'm planning on serving lunch at 12pm, I'll normally prepare the beef at 9am.

Cooking

Rinse the rice in the rice cooker a few times, and fill with water until there's about a finger nail's breadth of water above the top of the rice. Add about half a teaspoon of vegetable stock to the rice,Chop the onion and mushrooms into small pieces.
Add all the vegetables (apart from the spring onion) to the rice.Add the marinaded prawns to the rice. Mix everything up. Turn on the rice cooker start cooking.
Chop up the spring onion.When the food is cooked (this normally takes about 30 minutes), turn off the rice cooker, add the chopped spring onion, and give it all another good stir.