Testing new product: Progresso Bistro Cup Soups

This product comes in two parts, an envelope
of soup mix and a K-Cup of broth

I joined a program at Shaws Market called MyMixx which sends me an email every Saturday with a coupon offering 2 for 1 items or freebies, etc.  and last weekend it was a coupon for a free box of these Progresso Bistro Cups Soups. They come in 3 flavors, Southwestern Style Creamy White Bean and Corn, Broccoli and Cheese and Creamy Tomato and Parmesan. The soups come in 2 parts; an envelope of soup mix and a Keurig K-Cup of (I think) broth. You dump the contents of the envelope into a mug, place the K-Cup into your Keurig machine and before you can say "Haute Cuisine" you have soup!  Now I normally do my shopping at Market Basket but as Shaws had eggs at 2 dozen for $3 and since the soup was free I thought that I'd shop a little at Shaws and give one these a try, fully expecting it to be too salty and probably a little weird. I gave the Southwestern Style Creamy White Bean and Corn flavor a try yesterday at work. 

What I discovered was that the soup was very thick and not at all salty as I had expected. It had a nice "southwestern" flavor from cumin, some sort of chili pepper and a little sweetness from the corn. I'd rate it as "not bad" on the FHP Processed Food Scale. It was very easy to make and although it says to use the 8oz setting on your Keurig I might add a little more water to it just to thin it out a little. All in all, if you occasionally like soup for lunch and you cannot get away from the office for lunch, these are a good thing to keep in your desk for a soup emergency. I will probably give the other varieties a try as well, however at 3 cups of soup for $3.99 they do seem like I probably wouldn't buy them on a regular basis. 

(Full Disclosure: I did experience a case of "wind" about an hour after eating this soup, so you may want to try this at home first to see if you experience the same effect, especially if you work in close quarters. This may be endemic only to the white bean flavor. If you have your own office and/or a good vent system at your workplace, then go for it!)

Dump the contents of the envelope into a large mug (they recommend a 16oz mug)

Pop the K-Cup into the Keurig machine and set the dispenser for 8 ounces,  although for the Southwestern Bean Soup you could probably use the 10oz for a less thick soup. 

After the machine finishes "brewing", give the soup a vigorous stir and then let it sit for at least a minute before eating

As you can see the soup gets really thick. It could be thinned out by using the 10oz setting on the machine or if you have a water cooler in your office that dispenses boiling water, add a little from there. It's a good product, in a pinch, when you want some soup and can't get away from the office to enjoy some.