Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This is a pretty good soup mix. It's the typical variety of beans, split peas and dried vegetables plus a seasoning pack. Very easy to make - bring 7 cups of water to a boil, add the beans, simmer for 2 hours, and add the seasoning pack about 10 minutes before it's done. Good flavor - not spicy, but not bland either. Does not taste salty but, if you're on a sodium-restricted diet, note that the sodium count is pretty high (660mg).
It is not, however, what I would call hearty. There's only 6 ounces of beans, so when you add 7 cups of water you're getting a pretty thin soup. But, you can easily dress it up a bit. I use the soup as a base, and add in things such as rice, pasta, diced potatoes, diced ham, shredded chicken, greens (such as swiss chard, spinach or kale), fresh or frozen vegetables, and so on. Not all at once, of course - just toss in whatever is hanging around the fridge or pantry. A dash or two of hot sauce often hits the spot as well. Making it with 50% water and 50% stock (either chicken or turkey) also helps put a bit more hearty into the pot.
If you use this as a starter and dress it up, it's well worth getting, especially if you can get it on one of the sharply discounted sale prices. On its own it tastes good, but it's way too watery to be considered a hearty soup.
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Not for Passover use.
