TASTETEST: ‘SoupMan’ Soup is Not All That
By Brooke A. Brown
Sorry for the lack of activity here of late, but I’m still recovering from a bad case of disappointment. True to my promise, I finally gave the SoupMan’s Seafood Bisque a try. And I only have one thing to say: ‘No Good Review for You!’
It’s not so much that the soup was un-delicious (as Homer Simpson might say). The flavor was actually quite nice, thanks in large part to a multitude of quality ingredients and a superb focus on seasoning. My problems with the SoupMan product, however, are three-fold.
First, take a gander at the picture on the front of the box. Those large shrimp and other well-sized chunks of seafood look quite appetizing, do they not? Well don’t expect to find the same thing on the inside of the box. Sure, there’s seafood… just not in whole pieces as advertised.
Second, the portion size is ridiculously meager, especially considering the price (nearly $10!). Certainly there’s nowhere near enough to properly feed two folks on soup alone. One must bundle the meal with a sandwich – I’m thinking grilled cheddar on multi-grain bread – and perhaps even some chips to come remotely close to feeling full. This fact was a major let down.
The final issue I had with the SoupMan’s soup was the ‘heat & serve’ method of preparation. The soup is frozen in a plastic, boil-in bag. Basically you just bring some water to a boil, drop the bag in, simmer for a few minutes and then serve. Well, after following the instructions and actually allotting extra time in the hot water bath since I was heating from a completely frozen state, I awkwardly retrieved the hot bag with a pair of tongs and placed it on the counter. I then cut the bag open to pour the bisque into a couple of bowls, only to discover that the soup in the middle of the bag was still frozen.
Aye carumba! (As Bart Simpson might say.)
So I quickly dumped the hot water from the sauce pot, emptied the half-frozen, half warmed-through soup into said pot, and returned the lot to the stovetop. By this time, I wasn’t even that hungry anymore. But in the best interest of this blog, I soldiered on.
I still have another box of SoupMan soup in the freezer. Broccoli and cheddar, I think it is. I have a feeling it’s gonna be there for a while.
February 14th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
I tried that stuff last week. Blew my socks off! Awesome!
February 14th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
I thought it was good, and only payed $5 for the clam chowder. It did take longer than advertised to thaw though.
Still, I thought it beat the crud out of any canned soup I’ve ever eaten.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:55 am
The Seafood Bisque is definitely the most expensive variety. Most are in the $5-6 range.
And yeah… it’s definitely better than canned soup, without question. But does it live up to the hype of the Seinfeld show? How could it, really?
February 17th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
I was also deeply disappointed. First off, it stunk, luckily it did taste better than it smelled. It wasn’t horrible but definately not worth the price. Then I got a piece of “something”, maybe crab shell? After that the rest of my overpriced bisque had to go in the trash.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
All the complaints seem to come from bisque eaters. Give the other soups a try. THey are not worth the $5 price tag but are very good!
February 20th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
d.o.l - The broccoli and cheese soup that I mention at the end of the post is no longer in my freezer. I had the same issues with the preparation, even though I boiled it considerably longer this go around.
Anyway… the soup was divine. I’ve been thoroughly impressed with how well the SoupMan soups are seasoned.
Still, they are way too expensive for such a small amount of soup.
Still yet… it’s fun to try new things!
February 26th, 2008 at 11:25 am
oh I hate it when I think something is done and then you stick a fork in it to find a frozen center!!
Not sure I would want to spend $5+ on soup when I can get some delicious soup at a local restaurant for the same price.