Instant Soup Ratings: For Chilly Days, Part 1

Nothing chases away a chill this time of year like a steamy bowl of soup.
I think cooking will probably be part of my life again when I get the hang of this balancing act called working mom. But for now, well, I am discovering that cooking is no longer an option.
So, I put my crock pots into the work force, too.
Yes, I am the proud owner of not one, not two, but a grand total of four, count ‘em, four crock pots. No one is paying me to say it, but I love crock pots. They appeal to the part of my soul that longs for efficiency and control.
The following instant soups are NOT designed for crock pots, but being desperate for supper-time relief, I tried them in the crock pot anyway. 10 spoons means I got a kitchen-pass that’s as simple as filling the crock pot with water and opening an envelope.
-3 spoons. Wyler’s Mrs. Grass Hearty Soup Mix, Homestyle Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice. I put in 8 cups of water and tossed in the mix, stirred it around and left it all day. It was too thick at supper time, so I added another 2 cups of water and threw in some sautéed chicken breast, diced. My husband and I could eat it, but my son switched to instant mac and cheese instead. Sad, but true, mac qualifies as a food group at our house.
-8 spoons, at least. Williams Country Store Home Style Soup Mix, Tortilla Soup. It was so good that you could buy two bags, set out garnishes like grated cheese and fresh cilantro and serve it when friends come over to watch a basketball game. It is necessary to add chicken or beef to the pot, especially for company.
-9 spoons, our family’s favorite so far. Bear Creek Country Kitchens Minestrone Soup Mix. I took out the bowtie pasta before I put the rest of the mix in the pot. I added raw carrots, celery, and mushrooms, and two 4 oz. raw chuck steaks. Twenty minutes before supper time, I cut the cooked steak into chunks and added the bowties. The soup was so good even my son had nice things to say, right before he boiled the macaroni.
-9 spoons. Alessi Traditional Zuppa Toscana Tuscan Whitebean Soup. I started with the 4 ½ cups water, added the mix and 4 cups of chopped raw carrots. By evening, I had a scrumptious, tasty soup, perfect for family, maybe even for company. It didn’t need any additions; not even the carrots, but they were good, especially if you like something chunky in your smooth, thick, well-seasoned base.
Hopefully, this list will save you a little time at the grocery store and in the kitchen, buying more time for what we all love: to savor the flavor of family.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http:/checklistcharlie.blogspot.com or cathykrafve@gmail.com