I always love trying out new varieties of soup from New Covent Garden Soup Co because I often look dubiously at the ingredients list and flavour combinations but end up being wowed by the tastes. Well, they've really outdone themselves in the originality stakes with the recipes for their recent British-inspired soup collection. I can't help but wonder how many failed attempts they had in their kitchens before coming up with blends that worked !
First off, in the red corner carton is ... wait for it ! ... Beetroot and Horseradish. Now I like pickled beetroot in my salad but I can't really imagine it in a soup and I'm not keen on horseradish so I'll take their word for it on this one ! They say : " Discover this rich, fiery blend of beetroot and horseradish with earthy, robust flavours that are sure to give your lunchtime that much needed burst of energy – perfect for anyone with an adventurous palate." Have any of you been brave enough to try this one yet ?
In the yellow carton is another combination that I'd never have thought of using for a soup - Vintage Cheddar and Piccalilli ! NCG say : "Inspired by a traditional pub classic! This delicious concoction brings you a British Ploughman’s in a bowl of soup featuring a blend of Vintage Cheddar cheese and warming flavours of piccalilli complete with small chunks of vegetables and a hint of mustard heat." Despite having a few misgivings, I popped a carton of this in my trolley and - as usual - realised that whatever you may think, there is method in their madness, cheese and piccalilli soup really does work ! The cheese and picalilli flavours are definitely there but they're not overpowering, as I feared. I'd never have thought of making a cheese soup but this is lovely. If I hadn't seen the carton, I'd have described this as tasty vegetable soup with added cheese and a slight mustard kick.
The green carton contains Garden Pea, Rocket and Lovage soup (I'm not even sure what lovage is, to be honest !) which sounds wonderfully summery. NCG say : "Immerse yourself in the outdoors with Garden Pea, Rocket & Lovage. This appetising soup boasts flavours from both vintage and modern eras, combining long forgotten lovage (a herb grown in English gardens for hundreds of years and thought to possess healing qualities) with contemporary peppery rocket, sweetened with garden peas and a twist of Vintage Cheddar to create a warming, savoury potage." Certainly different - I haven't tried this one because I didn't see it in store so let me know what you think if you give it a go !
The final variety, in an orange carton, is Parsnip, Apple and Elderflower, all ingredients I'm familiar with and love, but would they be too sweet for a soup? In a word, no - the kids loved this one too. NCG say : "Containing one of the nation’s favourite root vegetables, this smooth soup combines sweet honey roasted parsnips with tangy Bramley apples. This scrumptious soup is softened with floral hints of elderflower complemented with sour cream and warming nutmeg."
You might be thinking that soup is a winter thing, but these soups are all designed to be enjoyed either hot or cold. After a month off my diet, I'm looking forward to getting back to healthy eating so soup will be another great alternative to salads for quick and low-calorie meal options.
star rating : 4.5/5
RRP : £2.20 for 600g
for more information : http://www.newcoventgardensoup.com
Disclosure : I received some vouchers to try out the NCG soups, in order to write an honest review.
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They all sound great, love covent garden. Will be keeping an eye out for these!
ReplyDeleteI tried 3 out of 4 of these varieties. Skipped the piccallilli because I cannot stand it staste. The beetroot is not from pickled beets, so has a nice robust flavour, and the touch of the horseradish is not out of order. Try adding a dollop of soured cream or creme fraiche to it. The peas and lovage was lovely but a bit bland to my taste, I felt there was not enough salt in it either. Parsnip and elderflower was probably the best of the three, even my older son approved of it, and he is very finicky about food. I thought to do a review (I bought them, they didn't send any for reviewing) but with too many reviews to be done, I had no chance yet.
ReplyDeleteI always love your foodie reviews, great to get your feedback ! xxx
DeleteI have tried the pea one and quite liked it, but found I had to add sea salt and a large amount of pepper, as I found it quit bland. I would absolutely love to try the cheddar, but the combo does sound unusual and I can't quite envisage how it would taste. Thanks for a fab review x
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