Bottom Line: Progresso Spicy Tomato Soup is an excellent version of the soup with plenty of tomatoey richness and a nice kick of heat.
It’s soup time of year with the weather delivering somewhat of a chill outside and I have been sampling several of the spicy soups available on the store shelves these days. I already slurped down a bowl of Progresso’s Spicy Jambalaya (more on that one here), and next up is their Spicy Tomato Soup. This is a kicked-up version of their classic tomato soup which they describe as Medium in heat. And it is definitely one that lovers of spicy foods should enjoy.
This is a thick soup that has a very rich, tomatoey taste. That metallic aftertaste that you often get from canned soups is barely noticeable, perhaps dissipated by the acidity from the tomatoes. The soup has some sweetness, but not to the point that it is cloying. It has a very smooth consistency, though the pieces of red pepper are apparent, and they help to kick up the heat. This is actually one of the better tomato soups that I have had from out of a can and almost competes with the homemade version (watch for an upcoming recipe).
Heat-wise, this does not seem very hot at all after the first couple of spoonfuls. But it starts to build up pretty quickly and I resisted my urge to add more hot sauce. I finished the whole bowl as is with nothing added, and I would agree with their Medium heat assessment of the stuff. If you add a few drops of hot sauce to this, it could turn molten pretty fast!
Tomato soup pairs up perfectly with a grilled cheese sandwich, and I did cook up one to complete my meal. I use whole wheat bread and an assortment of cheese that usually includes a pepper jack along with cheddar and whatever else happens to be in the fridge. I also chop up some green onions and throw those inside to give the sandwich that little something extra. You could add some diced jalapenos or serranos, but I left those out because the soup was bringing the spice. And that sandwich worked perfectly for dunking in the soup and sopping up what was left in the bowl.
One serving of this soup is 120 calories, but who are we kidding? You’re going to eat up the whole can which only tops out at 270 cals total. Even with the sandwich added, you shouldn’t be doing too bad unless you are watching your salt intake (1665mg total!). I can’t find the spicy Progresso soups at my local HEB (hey guys, get these on the shelves!), but Super Walmart and Super Target have some to choose from. And on a recent trip to Kroger while in Houston I found a rather nice selection of the soups. These will definitely keep you warm these days and they also offer a nice option for a quick and easy meal.
Nutrition Info:
Ingredients: Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), Water, Contains Less Than 2% Of: Corn Syrup Solids, Soybean Oil, Sugar, Corn Starch, Modified Food Starch, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Spice, Red Chile Pepper, Garlic Powder, Dried Parsley, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor
Serving Size: 1 Cup (245g), 2 ¼ Servings per Can
Calories: 120
Fat: 3.5g (0.5g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 2g
Carbs: 21g
Sodium: 740mg