The other night, between sneezes and nose-blowing, I looked at Steve and with my face tried to communicate: where is my dinner. He isn’t a mind-reader, no. But I wanted a good dinner and I did. not. want. to. be. the. person. preparing. it. His response, “Let’s make a Red Baron!” (Do you guys know Red Barons? They’re the frozen-pizza-of-choice in the Hunt house.) My face then communicated: absolutely not. Expletive thrown in the middle.
{You guys really love your slippers. Every time these show up in a picture I get a question about that. I love that my readers love coziness just as much as I do. Here they are! The way they go up in the back a bit is the best.}
You see, sometimes I don’t want to cook the dinner but I still want the dinner to be home cooked. You feel me? Do you feel me?! Plus, when you have a cold, who wants pizza? (You do? Weird.) What I really wanted was a big bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup but it was already 5 pm and he wasn’t about to thaw a chicken and then ask me directions every step of the way. (He makes a mean meal of chicken fajitas–the best!–and great eggs, but overall his dinner skills are lacking. And it’s my fault. I’ve enabled him. Steve, I won’t let you down another day, not another minute! We are going to hone those culinary skills TODAY!)
There he is. That man can open a box o’ soup like it ain’t no thang, though! So, what’s the next best thing when you cannot be swayed from a cup of hot soup? Grocery store soup, that’s what. (Probably take-out soup, or a kindly neighbor dropping some she’s had simmering all day, but no one did that (rude) and honestly we don’t really have any take-out soup places near us which I’m now realizing is a true downside of where we live and is making me check out the Trulia listings in other places.)
{top left is Wolfgang Puck chicken and rice, bottom left is Annie’s, bottom right is Pacific}
So I took my sick self to the store and bought every box/can variety of organic soups I could get my germy hands on. I swiped them all off the shelf and into my cart with one big, dramatic sweep of the arm (like Molly Shannon in Seinfeld; anyone?). Then Steve had the fabulous idea to do a taste test and Parker, having just done one between different kinds of apples in school, was all over it. So we took the three most similar–chicken noodle, chicken noodle, and chicken and rice (I know! A bit of a departure!)–and heated them up. 
And now we’re going to give you the results when you find yourself in a snotty-nosed-don’t-want-to-cook-but-neither-does-anyone-else lurch (winter’s coming; it’s around the corner! Prepare yourself!). Parker: Annie’s was number 1. But he also said each was his favorite every time he had a new bite. His quote: “I like the noodles and the broth best. And the chicken and the carrots. I don’t exactly super like the carrots but I still do like them.” Me and Steve: Pacific was number 1 (but, in retrospect, it had more sodium than any of the others so that’s probably why). And coming in at third place was Wolfgang Puck. So there you have it.
I’ve been eyeing the organic soup aisle in our grocery store (specifically the Pacific boxes) but have never tried them and didn’t know if they were worth it or not. Totally grabbing a box tonight! Thank you for your taste testing services 🙂
this is super cute- and also, um, really good info! i am always wanting a home cooked meal without being the one to do the cooking!
i’ve got actually cute nursing clothes over on my blog today-
http://www.notablob.com/2016/10/cute-nursing-friendly-clothes.html
Even this sounds at least a bit funny when you write it – but I hope you’re better soon! I have chicken soup on the oven now – this showed up the moment my husband came home feeling a bit under the weather and I have yet to find a grocery store soup which will do the trick here.
what a fun idea! and now i’m going to stock my shelf with some soup! we just had a cold last week, and i don’t know if it was just a minor one, or all the added measures i was taking, but it seriously only last three days for each of us (the baby was saved from getting it, thankfully!)
It makes me so happy every time you post about Pacific foods! I live in Oregon and drive by the Pacific facility every day on my way to work. My husband graduated with a winemaking degree from Oregon State University BUT many of his classmates were pursuing degrees in Food Science and Tech…. and now, 10 years later, my husband and I know many people who work or have worked for Pacific. It’s a great place and they make great food. We’ve known farmers who contract with them, as well as a good friend who is their director of broths! On my daily commute, you can tell what they are making based off the smell in the air– there is clearly one day/month when they process all their garlic!! Long post and story but I always love knowing that my prepared foods of choice come from decent places with great practices and happy employees. Thanks for supporting our little slice of Oregon!
oh i love that! thanks for sharing, aubrey! i’ll keep supporting 🙂
Funny you posted this just as I’m finishing up a bowl of Pacific Chicken Noodle Soup. It’s my second time buying it and this time I changed up the flavor a tiny bit by adding a couple dashes of poultry seasoning, which (I think) gave it more of a homemade taste. I kinda wish it didn’t have peas in it, but otherwise, theirs is my top choice in that category.
This is such a fun post! I think whatever one ended up with higher sodium would have been my number one choice too haha
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Pacific makes great soups! We have tried almost all of them. My toddler ( and I ) really love the vegetable lentil the best! I do sometimes water them down slightly or strain them a little for her though … the sodium is kinda high. Also love the red pepper and tomato soup… with grilled cheese sandwiches for a quick family dinner!!
have you ever had trader joe’s tomato soup? sooo good with grilled cheese!
This is the best post ever. None of these soups are available where I live, but that’s irrelevant. Thanks for carrying out this important research. It’s funny how reading a post about chicken noodle soup really makes you want to have chicken noodle soup, even at 9:53 in the morning. Keep up the good work.
Ugh – we have that same plague in our house and while yes, I will totally eat pizza when I am sick- I opted to make a meatloaf (say what?!?!) last night instead. In hindsight, soup sounds like it was probably a way better idea…
Your writing is the best, and also the funniest,and also what’s keeping me entertained at 1:58 am after nursing a baby that falls to sleep afterwards meanwhile I am WIDE AWAKE. But enough of my problems. 😉 Hope you all are feeling better!
thank you julie!! and i remember those days well… (maybe because i’m still in them?! anders partied in bed from about 5 am on this morning! and 4 am yesterday!!!)
We are hardcore into the trader joes tomato soup and their roasted red pepper soup (though I think they went a little overboard on the low-sodium on that one- it needs a pinch of salt and a lot of fresh cracked pepper). In WA, it’s soup weather 10 months out of the year, so I’m definitely going to try to branch out with your suggestions. 🙂