Review- New Covent Garden NEW Skinny Creamy Chicken & Vegetable Soup

Happy October! Does anyone know where this year has gone? I don't.. But I am giddy for the impending festivities of the next few months especially the one beginning with a "C".. In December.. Which I shall refrain from mentioning for the time being incase of great upset. 

This creamy soup tastes so good you won't believe it's part of our Skinny range. We've taken tender chicken pieces, combined them with cream, pinhead oats, white wine and chicken. Finished with a selection of vegetables, herbs and black pepper, this soup is sure to please. 

Today's review is something I am sure we will all be tucking into now that Autumn is well and truly upon us - The humble and inoffensive delight that is Soup! New Covent Garden NEW Skinny Creamy Chicken & Vegetable Soup to be precise which I bought in Asda a few weeks ago for £1.98. Obviously, as this contains meat it isn't suitable for Vegetarians and is also not suitable for home freezing.. I suspect rule breakers would go a head regardless.

It may look like puke but thankfully, it smelt a lot nicer and just as its name suggested - Creamy, chicken-y with subtle herby veg. As always, I zapped my soup in the microwave for a couple of minutes until piping hot but if you're old school, you can always whack it on the hob and gently boil. 

The soup was plenty thick with lots of visible carrot and potato chunks.. The chicken pieces however were few and far between with my bowl (Half the 600g carton) only containing 2 bits. Flavour wise, it was definitely creamy but due to the aforementioned, certainly more of a "plain" vegetable soup  opposed to its Chicken namesake. The herbs came through ever so slightly to compliment with as usual, the black pepper not exactly being to my liking but only marginally off putting - A dash more salt wouldn't have gone amiss, to bring out the full flavour potential though! As for the pinhead oats.. What pinhead oats? They were as elusive as the chicken!

Overall, this NEW Creamy Chicken & Vegetable Soup from New Covent Garden isn't wonderful but isn't a disaster either - The texture is spot on but more chicken and an injection of seasoning would really see it soar in terms of tastiness. Along with the soup of the month (Fiery Tomato & Lime), there are also 2 other NEW Skinny options now on the shelves - Broccoli, Pea & Pesto for the legume lover and Chicken & Chorizo Jambalaya for those who like a bit of a kick.. Neither are for me sadly! Back to today and it's a 3 out of 5!

Review- New Covent Garden Soup of the Month: Scream of Pumpkin

I am not sure I have ever spoken about my love of soup here on R4R.. I have it for dinner, several times a week and have done so for about the last 3 years - I am beyond addicted! As you can imagine, I've tried ever brand under the sun during this time but always come back to New Covent Garden who do an array of flavours as well as a Soup of the Month. 

As its October and Halloween is the most important thing in all our lives, this months soup is Scream of Pumpkin.. With Blood Orange for that spooky twist! I picked up the 700g carton in Tesco for £2.35 but they are often half price so do keep your eyes peeled. 

Here is my half eaten, microwave splattered, steaming bowl of soup - I forgot I was meant to be taking a picture.. Sorry about that! As you can see, it was fairly liquid-y but beautifully smooth. Taste wise, it was more of a tangy, citrus carrot soup than its pumpkin namesake - It was listed 3rd in the ingredients but is still odd considering it had much more of a pumpkin flavour prior to heating. The blood orange was very apparent, giving a nice citrus zing without being overpowering and was well balanced with spice seasoning and salt to match. My only complaint is that it needs some chunky chopped up pumpkin, carrot or other squash in there to bulk it out but that is probably more personal preference - I do like a chunky soup! 

Overall, this Months Soup from New Covent Garden gets comforting and warming, 2 thumbs up from me - Yes, it is more carrot than pumpkin but I can let the slide.. Because I really like the "spooky" packaging! I kid.. Sort of - It tastes marvellous but we're all shallow and appreciate aesthetics, right? Who ever says "not me" is a liar. I can't wait to see what Novembers offering will be but until then I will most definitely be picking up a few more of these PRETTY cartons and I suggest you do the same!* Its a 4 out of 5 from me. 

*All the New Covent Garden Soups freeze a treat so when they are on offer, feel free to buy in bulk, portion them up and whack in the freezer to enjoy at a later date.