Product Review of Muir Glen's Savory Lentil Soup

(Originally Published at Yahoo.Voices formerly Associated Content~10/28/2012)

BSTRACT: Muir Glen's Savory Lentil Soup is a rich and hearty soup that is entirely made from USDA certified organic ingredients, vegan and without MSG. This soup is every bit as good as my homemade lentil soup.

CONTENT:

In a previous article, I had written about my introduction to the Muir Glen's line of food products by trying Muir Glen's Garden Vegetable Soup which I had come across while shopping in my local Duane Reade store. I had been overall impressed by the fact that Muir Glen is a company that produces food products that are all USDA certified as being organic. (Update: Previous article about Muir Glen's Garden Vegetable Soup can be found HERE

The Muir Glen company's main and only crop are organically grown tomatoes and is based in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Their tomatoes are then used for a wide variety of food products, from canned diced, fire roasted, crushed, and whole tomatoes, salsa sauces, tomato sauces, tomato paste, pasta sauce, ketchup, and of course, a wide variety of soups which also for the most part are also tomato based. S ince I had already tried Muir Glen's Garden Vegetable soup, now it was time for me to try their Savory Lentil Soup.

For those who wish to know the ingredient facts of Muir Glen's Savory Lentil Soup, they are as follows:
Water, Lentils*, Carrots*, Celery*, Tomato Paste*, Corn Starch*. Also contains less than 1% Sea Salt, Extra Virgin Olive Oil*, Onion Powder*, Raw Sugar*, Parsley Flakes*, Black Pepper, and Thyme*. (*Organic)

Here are the Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size: 1 cup (251g), Servings Per Container: about 2. Calories 120 per serving, Calories from fat: 15, Total Fat: 1.5g (3%), Saturated Fat: 0g, Trans Fat: 0g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: go, Sodium: 780g (33%), Total Carbohydrate: 23g (8%), Dietary fiber: 4g (16%), Sugars: 2g, Protein: 7g

First up, I must point out, that I'm an excellent cook in my own right and yes, I have done my own version of Lentil soup in the past, so I was curious if Muir Glen's version was up to par. In a word, yes! I have to admit since I'm now I'm on my own, I often take shortcuts, which means I'm not exactly cooking the way I used to, particularly in making soups, so if I can find a product that may be similar to my own home cooking I'm all the more willing to try it.

Now of course I have tried other soup company brands, such as the tried and true familiar Progresso and Campbell's brands. Each company has their own versions of Lentil soup, however, they are some flaws to both of them. The first is that while both companies use what can be considered as being natural ingredients, neither use ingredients that are certified as being organic but are instead are commercially grown and processed. Two, in the case of Campbell's Lentil soup, there is the added use of MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), and for the person who is vegan, this soup also contains Parmesan Cheese. Muir Glen's version of Lentil soup, is not only organic, contains no MSG, but is also completely vegan friendly.

And what is my opinion of Muir Glen's Savory Lentil Soup? In a word: fantastic! I found the soup to be every bit as tasty as my own homemade version. The tomato-based broth was rich and hearty and there were generous amounts of diced up carrots and sliced celery, and of course, the lentils themselves. This soup comes in a 14.8 oz can and is not condensed, so there is no need to add water, and while the label says this can of soup is enough for about two servings, like the prior soup I tried (Garden Vegetable) it too is actually more like one large serving. This is one of those soups that will be terrific for those chilly fall or winter nights. In a rating of one to ten, I give this a well-deserved ten!

If you wish to learn more about Muir Glen's products, visit their website

If you're unfortunate in that you can't find any of Muir Glen's products in your local store, you may order directly on-line here

Sources: Life

Product Review of Muir Glen's Garden Vegetable Soup

(Originally Published at Yahoo.Voices formerly Associated Content~10/14/2012)

ABSTRACT: Muir Glen's Garden Vegetable Soup is rich, hearty and favorable and has completely organic ingredients.

CONTENT:

Whenever I go grocery shopping, I'm always on the lookout for processed food products that contain natural ingredients, or better yet, foods that are made from organically grown methods. And yes, there is a difference between the labeling of foods as natural vs. organic. When any food product labels itself as containing all natural ingredients it can simply mean that particular product doesn't have any chemical or synthetic additives, yet may and will often contain foods grown by commercial means, which of course, may mean grown with pesticides and may also mean contains GMO/GE (Genetically Modified Organisms/Genetically Engineered) ingredients. For food items to be considered organic on the other hand, means that the food had to follow the strict standards set by the USDA , that is not commercially raised foods, pesticide free, and no GMO/GE ingredients. (1)(2) How can one tell if a food product is truly organic? Quite simply by looking on the label and there will be the USDA Organic seal on it.

When I think of it, I must look a rather comical sight when I do my grocery shopping as I'm always reading the ingredients labels like crazy, and this is true especially if I'm interested in purchasing a food item that I haven't tried before. This is exactly what I did when by chance I came across a variety of soups in my local Duane Reade store and made by the Muir Glen company. Now when I think of companies that make soup, of course I'm familiar with Campbell's, Progresso, Healthy Choice and so forth, but Muir Glen? I have to confess, I never heard of this company before. What did attract my attention was the fact that under the name of each Muir Glen soup variety it clearly stated "Organic" and yes, had the USDA Organic seal.

Since I love vegetable type soups, I picked out the can of Muir Glen's Garden Vegetable Soup which also states on the label that is Vegan and free of MSG. Here is the list of ingredients: Water, tomato puree (water, tomato paste), Diced Celery*, Carrots*, Tomatoes*, Corn*, Cut Green Beans*, Peas*, Potatoes*. Contains less than 1% of: Sea Salt, Corn Starch*, Onion Powder*, Red Bell Pepper*, Garlic Powder*, Basil*, Black Pepper*, Citric Acid, Oregano*, Calcium Chloride. *Organic

Here are the particulars for the Garden Vegetable Nutrition facts:

Serving size: 1 cup (251g)

Servings Per Container: about 2

Calories per serving: 70

Calories from Fat: 0

Total Fat : 0.5g 1%

Saturated Fat 0g 0%

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0g

Monounsaturated fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 780mg 33%

Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%

Dietary Fiber 3g 11% Sugars 5g

Protein 3g

Now of course, the ultimate test itself, trying it. First of all, I have to point out that this is not a condensed soup therefore, one does not add water to it the way one might for any soup by Campbell's. Also, the can is only 14.9 oz, therefore a rather small-sized can and while the label specifies that the servings per container is about two, it's actually more like only one large serving. The base or stock of the soup is tomato, which I love, and I noticed a great blend of the vegetable ingredients; there were large slices of carrots, celery, and generous amounts of the other vegetables listed. There is one thing however that I need to point out and that concerns the sodium content of the soup which is 780mg, and may be rather high for those watching their sodium intake.

So, how did it taste? In one word: fantastic! I do have to admit that sometimes in the past, I've been disappointed with certain organic food products as they often tasted rather bland, but this soup has a great, rich hearty taste and very satisfying. In a rating scale of one to ten, I would rate it a ten, and can't wait to buy some more! I also can't wait to try some of their other products as well. With the company Muir Glen, and with my first introduction of their foods via their Garden Vegetable soup, I feel as though I've hit a goldmine of great taste and of a great company of products. The cost of this can of soup at my Duane Reade store was $3.99, a dollar or two more perhaps than most canned soups, but in my opinion well worth it.

If you want to learn more about Muir Glen and their food items that they produce which includes all of their tomato products, such as their canned diced, fire roasted, crushed and whole tomatoes, plus their salsas, sauces, ketchup and soups, visit their website

If you can't find their products at your store you can order on-line here

Sources:

Meaning of Natural Ingredients:

Natural Ingredients (1)

Natural News article (2)

My Own Hearty Minestrone Soup Recipe

I consider myself a well established cook, having gotten involved with French cuisine in particular for over thirty years, however, my culinary skills aren't limited to French cooking, but a wide variety of nationalities, such as Italian, Mexican, and Oriental. During all these years I've always been a stickler for making any meal completely homemade and entirely from scratch, in other words, no "short-cuts". If for instance, I want to make biscuits, yes, I make homemade biscuits and have never used the Pillsbury biscuit dough in that pop-up can.

Among the many types of meals I've made over the years, I love making homemade soups, and now that the weather is starting to turn on the chilly side, what could be better than a nice piping hot bowl of soup? In the past I've made homemade Chicken, Lentil, Pea, Black Bean, Potato, Cream of Celery, Gazbacho, and French Onion soup Gratinée.

Recently, I came across a recipe called Harvest Minestrone with Quinoa & Kale Soup and looking at the photo, I have to admit my mouth began to drool, it looked delicious. I give the link for that recipe here, however, it inspired me to do my own version of the soup and I prepare it in a completely different way than the original recipe. The original recipe, for instance calls for a can of crushed tomatoes, kale and the quinoa, I omitted these three ingredients and substituted my own as you'll see if you compare recipes. Also most of the vegetable ingredients in the original recipe call for them to be diced; I instead cut most of the vegetables such as the zucchini in large cubes or slices.

My Own Hearty Minestrone Soup:

Ingredients:

2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 medium-sized onion diced

2 cloves of garlic minced

2 celery stalks sliced (not diced!)

2 or three large carrots, pared and sliced

1 large fresh zucchini, pared, thickly sliced and cut into cubes

1 cup of fresh green beans cut into about 1" pieces

1 green bell pepper, sliced and diced

1 large jar of pasta source~~I used a 24 oz. jar of Vito Marcello's Tomato and Basil Marinara Sauce

3 or 4 cups water

1 large plum tomato cut into cubes

1 15 oz. can chickpeas

1 15 oz. can either Cannellini or Red Kidney Beans ( I used the Red Kidney Beans)

1 cup cooked pasta (such as ditalini or elbow macaroni)

Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish with pre-grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

In a large stockpot add the olive oil, onions and garlic and sautée till tender (don't let burn!). Pour and add approximately one half of the pasta sauce into stockpot, then add the water. Stir to blend. Add all the vegetables to pot, omitting the beans. Let all the ingredients simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. While the soup is simmering, in a large saucepan, boil a quart of water and add about 3/4 cup pasta and cook until al-dente.

If necessary keep adding a little more of the pasta sauce and water to the soup as the liquid will have a tendency to evaporate. About ten minutes before the soup is done, add the chickpeas, Cannellini or Red Kidney Beans and the pasta and let simmer some more. Ladle in the soup into bowls and sprinkle some of the parmesan cheese on top.

Servings: about 8 to 10 servings

Enjoy!!

Image Source: ©Melanie Neer~my own photo of my Hearty Minestrone Soup

The Original Recipe Harvest Minestrone With Quinoa & Kale Soup as a comparison and what inspired me to do my own recipe:

www.mindbodygreen.com/0-11146/harvest-minestrone-with-quinoa-kale.html (Originally published at bubblews~~October 16, 2013)