Review: Maggie Beer Soup Range!

Three soups from the Maggie Beer range

I was excited to receive a media release recently, regarding the Maggie Beer range of soups. Here in South Australia, Maggie is a bit of a local treasure! You may be familiar with Maggie through her ABC TV show The Cook and the Chef, her appearances on Channel 10's MasterChef or perhaps her many successful cookbooks. She also runs The Farm Shop in the Barossa Valley and sells her gourmet products online. Of course, with the imminent onset of winter in Australia, it's the perfect time of year to be talking about soup. It's comfort food that warms the heart and the soul!

Maggie Beer: "My food philosophy will always remain; to cook from the heart, making the most of each and every ingredient I have to hand. Taste and quality are paramount in the creation of my range. My aim is to make the very best products available to everyone, regardless of cooking skills or the time restrictions of a busy lifestyle. I hope I can share my love of a good food life with you all."

There are five flavours in Maggie's heat and eat Soup range: old favourites Minestrone; Pea & Ham; Sweet Potato, Pear & Ginger plus two newbies, Mushroom and Lamb & Lentil. I love the pouch packaging. It's easy to rip off the top and either stand the pouch up in the microwave, or heat on the stove in a saucepan. At only 2-3 minutes in the microwave or 5 minutes on the stove, this is a meal that is convenient, simple to prepare and ready to serve in next to no time. I appreciate having a healthy dinner option in the house, and on nights where I really can't be bothered fussing around in the kitchen, these soups are a great alternative to ordering a pizza! Here are my thoughts on the three flavours I was sent......

Lamb & Lentil

Lamb & Lentil
This soup was delicious. Packed full of vegetables and tasty herbs, the lamb pieces were tender and succulent. This pretty much defines Winter (it is coming, you know) comfort food for me; hearty, meaty soup dense with healthy vegies. Even the lentils were yummy, and I'm not usually a lentil lover. I served this with cracked black pepper sprinkled over the top for some kick and it added the perfect final touch.

Ingredients include chicken stock, parsnip, celery, onion, verjuice, dijon mustard, lamb and brown lentils.

Pea & Ham

Pea & Ham
This was my favourite of the three soups. Again, this soup's chock a block with small chunky vegies. It's creamy, and the aroma of the ham in particular is a standout. The flavours meld perfectly together, with the bacon adding a lovely smokiness. This tasted fresher than tinned soup, and I'm not sure if the pouch packaging has anything to do with it, or if it's the gourmet recipe. My pea-despising husband surprisingly enjoyed this soup (he seriously hates peas), and commented it was really nice, so Maggie Beer is very talented indeed!

Ingredients include green split peas, chicken stock, bacon, grated carrot, garlic paste and extra virgin olive oil.

Sweet Potato, Pear & Ginger

Sweet Potato, Pear & Ginger
Hubby and I ate this last, because out of the three, it sounded the most like a dessert soup! What an intriguing combination of flavours! When I first tasted this silky smooth soup, I was taken aback, because it's a strange taste. The pear really comes to the forefront flavour-wise, and I can't say I really even tasted the ginger, such was the subtlety of it. But my tastebuds adjusted to the unusual concoction, and I ended up enjoying it! This is a great Vegetarian option.

Ingredients include vegetable stock, tomato, parsley, garlic, bay leaves, cream, lemon juice, thyme and white pepper.

RRP $8.49 each (500g)
Check out the Where To Buy page on Maggie's website for a Stockist near you.

Disclaimer: These products were provided for consideration. I was not paid. All reviews are my honest opinion.

What flavour takes your fancy?