Long ago, when Packit It Gourmet was a new company, I reviewed many of their meals, but one I never picked up to try was their Austintacious Tortilla Soup. I had an issue with soup as a meal then. Why? Who knows. I was thinking over this and decided it was time to review it when I placed an order last month. See why it won so many awards all those years ago? (I remember when it won the Backpacker Magazine Editor Choice award in 2009, which was a big deal)
Austintacious Tortilla Soup. It comes in a one-serving pouch and is an “add boiling water and let sit” type of meal. It is priced at $13.99.
Ingredients:
White Rice, Whole Black Beans, Cage-Free Chicken (white chicken meat), Tortilla Chips (stone ground white corn, corn oil, lime), Chicken Broth Concentrate (chicken stock, maltodextrin, natural flavor, chicken fat, sugar, salt, yeast extract, xanthan gum), Monterey Jack Cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), Organic Fire-Roasted Yellow Corn, Tomato Pepper (garlic salt, organic tomato (organic tomatoes, silicon dioxide), annatto, garlic granules, cilantro), Organic Whole Kernel Yellow Corn, Organic Tomato Flakes, Organic Chicken Stock, Spices, Chipotle Spice (spices, garlic, salt, sugar), Red and Green Bell Peppers, Lime Juice (corn syrup, lime juice, lime oil), Jalapeno Pepper, Red Pepper Spice (salt, spices, garlic, silicon dioxide), Minced White Onion, Cilantro, Diced Red Shallots
The soup comes with a packet of chicken broth, hot sauce, lime powder for extra flavor, and a bag of crushed tortilla chips & freeze-dried cheese to top the soup with.
It’s a simple prep: Add 1½ cups boiling water and the chicken broth packet, stir well, and let hydrate for 10 minutes.
Top with lime powder and hot sauce as desired. Sprinkle on the chips and cheese.
The Takeaway:
Well, I should have tried this soup out……15 years ago! It’s a solid winner. It’s refreshing tasting, hearty, but not thick or pasty, vibrant vegetables, and the cheese and tortilla chips are a great topping. We added in all the lime powder, and about half the hot sauce. Our 12-year-old enjoyed it – how many teens enjoy a bowl of hot soup for lunch? Not that many. He liked it, and asked me to pick this up again. That’s a high remark from him. I’d agree with him; the three small bites he allowed me to have were very good.
It’s well worth the purchase!
~Sarah
FTC Disclaimer: We bought the product used in the review.