vegoftheweek

There are many things in life that baffle me, one being why there is meat stock in vegetable soup. I started off being very veggie militant and read labels quite religiously to ensure no hidden ingredients would make me accidentally break my vegetarian vow.

However, I turned veg as a teenager, which meant I wasn’t always at the store when my lunch or dinner was purchased. Mom tried her best, but let’s face it, when having to read all the other “chemical” ingredients in a conventional soup (otherwise known as preservatives) and not being a vegetarian herself, there were sometimes evenings when she would come home with what she thought I would be ecstatic with, but my reaction, after performing my religious label reading duties, was somewhat different.

Chicken stock, beef stock, natural flavorings of the unknown world be gone. Amy’s Kitchen Soups has allowed me to relax knowing “vegetable” soup, is only composed of vegetables. The Alphabet Soup, which also happens to be vegan, comes chocked full of vegetables-corn, carrots, potatoes, as well as a creamy non-dairy, tomato base that doesn’t require you add water.

The founders of Amy’s Kitchen created the vegetarian food line with the idea of wanting to provide healthy, meatless meals that didn’t require a lot of fuss because they were so busy with their daughter. You guessed it-the daughter’s name is Amy who now is a student at Standford University. Read more about Amy’s soup after the break…

Ever order a meal from a restaurant where you think they’ve forgotten one of the ingredients? The veggie burger with a strand of lettuce or 1/4 of a tomato slice when the menu clearly says, “All burgers come topped with lettuce, tomato, and onion.” It’s almost like they put a measly amount of lettuce on there to cover their butts for legal reasons.

I think the exact opposite when I eat this alphabet soup. Fat pasta letters (you can see I tried to spell something special for you, but failed), not broken pieces settled at the bottom of the can. Chunks, not crumbs of carrot and potatoes. And the green beans…yum. The green beans, while cut of course to fit in the soup, are still firm and full, not torn and flat. All the vegetables are so alive, it’s like you chopped them up that afternoon and made soup yourself.

Amy’s Alphabet soup is available for around $2 give or take few cents, so it’s easy to stock up on a mostly organic treat without breaking your budget.

What vegetarian/vegan soups do you enjoy?

Week Links:

Looking For A Few Good Vegetarian Men. The Sexiest Soldier Contest (Peta)

Off The Hoof-A Vegetarian Men’s Magazine (Live PR)