Heinz Squeeze & Stir - Rich instant cup soup - review

Heinz are just about to launch a brand new cup soup product and we were excited here at The Madhouse to be given a special sneak preview. I have to say, I've been pleasantly surprised. Now, I have nothing against soup – it's a lovely, healthy, low-calorie and often nutrient-packed warming meal and with the way this summer's going, it will be replacing salads on the menu before long because it's looking more autumnal than summery out there at the moment ! But I've never been convinced by powdered soup, and even less so by instant powdered cup soups. In my experience, however long you stir, you always get a yucky gritty bit at the bottom of the cup that hasn't dissolved properly and the flavours don't pack much of a punch.

Well, you won't get a powdery bit at the bottom of the new Heinz cup soups because they're not made with powder, they come in a little tube of puree. You squeeze the contents of the sachet into a mug (like the funky one kindly supplied with my samples by the lovely people at Heinz), add 50ml of boiling water to cover the paste and stir, then add a further 130ml of boiling water, stir and enjoy.

The Squeeze and Stir soups come in four varieties – Cream of Tomato (the nation's number one choice apparently), Minestrone, Mediterranean Vegetable and Cream of Tomato with Basil. I hope to see Cream of Mushroom and Chicken Soup added to that list in time for winter, because if you don't like tomato-based soups, you don't get many options !

The soups contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, are low in fat and – unlike other cup soups on the market – provide one of your five-a-day, which is great news. Heinz say : “Offering great taste and full of goodness, our new range of Heinz Squeeze & Stir Soups are leading the way when it comes to a new type of cup soup. We're confident that consumers will not only love the thick velvety texture and delicious flavours but also the fact that because it's a puree, not a powder, each one gives you 1 of your 5 a day. Heinz Squeeze & Stir soups really do provide real soup goodness in an instant.”

You have to forget that these are instant cup soups because they really are nothing like any other cup soups you may have tried in the past. They're absolutely perfect for keeping in your desk drawer for those occasions when you don't have time for lunch and you don't want to fall back on a packet of crisps or a handful of biscuits. I tried the minestrone and tomato varieties, which are very nice but not my favourite soup flavours so I'm hoping they'll extend the range. I absolutely love the concept and the texture of the soups though.

Star rating : 4/5

RRP : 59p per sachet

Heinz Squeeze & Stir soups will be available in major retailers from the end of July.


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