The Soup Review: Trader Joe's Latin Style Black Bean Soup

I'm dog-sitting for my dad this week in lovely Cape May, New Jersey.  After taking dogs Boone and Daisy for a nice long walk at the bay, I was pretty hungry by the time we got back.  Problem: I was in a hurry to meet somebody before they left their house for the day (specifically, to borrow their beach passes just in case Cape May beach isn't free after Labor Day.  Life is pretty good at the moment.)  I examined the contents of my dad's pantry.  There were several varieties of Trader Joe's heat-and-serve soup, so I went with the black bean.  I'm always in the mood for Mexican cuisine anyway.

Overall, the soup tasted pretty good and took about three minutes to heat up in the microwave, so it gets bonus points for convenience.  The ingredients list made me happy too- nothing weird or funky, no high-fructose corn syrup.  It's high in fiber, protein, and a fair source of iron.

However, I thought it was thin, and the texture was a tad off-putting.  It was just liquified beans and spices with nothing solid at all.  This may just be my personal preference, but it would have been much more pleasurable to the palate had there been a bit of crunchy onion and maybe some bean-y bits allowed to escape the food processor.  In the very least, it should be a good deal thicker than chicken broth.  If you had a little bit of time, it could be improved by some sauteed diced onion and red bell pepper, as well as a garnish of chopped chives.  Sour cream goes well with it, and if you're feeling adventurous like I did, a bit of pico de gallo can spice it up.

My other caveat with this soup, as with many processed foods, is the sodium content.  One serving (a cup, and due to my large appetite I had rather more than that) has 22% of the average person's daily requirement of sodium.

To recap: convenient, good flavor, "eh" texture, good nutrient profile, high sodium. 


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