Pre-made soups at Trader Joe's - yum!

All -

A while back I was looking for a cheap easy lunch option and stumbled upon the soups in boxes at Trader Joes. The first one I bought was the Tomato and red pepper and I must say it is quite delightful. Hits the spot on a cold winter day. I also tried their corn chowder and was not as big of a fan.

But the tomato with a little cheese melted on top and some fresh pepper hits the spot on a day like today.

Anyone else had any success with their soups or any of their chili/stews?

J.R.

Not from Trader Joe's, but their bastard stepchild Aldi - and from what I remember about the Corn Chowder, it sounds like they used the same supplier. They were a seasonal item, frozen in baggies inside plastic ice cream type tubs. The Lobster Bisque was sheer heaven...cream and lobster stock and just a hint of je ne sais quoi.

Now, if Trader Joe's would just open a store that's not so darn hard to get to from South Evanston, I'd check it out myself!

I'm very fond of their shelf-stable Corn and Pepper soup. The name is something like that. It's a silky sweet corn soup with a nice punch of poblano. They also sell some kind of frozen roasted southwestern corn, and I'll often heat up some of that and toss some into the soup.

The split pea soup found in the refrigerated area is very good. A little hint of mint keeps it light and fresh tasting.

I used to love their bottled chick pea stew but apparently it's another one of those items that's been shuttled off to the TJ graveyard.

The boxed vegetable bisque at TJ's is lovely, and I actually prefer TJ's butternut squash soup to the Imagine brand. These won't replace home cooked, but if you're in a hurry, they're mighty tasty without any work.

jpeac2 wrote:A while back I was looking for a cheap easy lunch option and stumbled upon the soups in boxes at Trader Joes. The first one I bought was the Tomato and red pepper and I must say it is quite delightful.

I started shopping at TJ's once I moved to Pgh. The organic tomato and roasted red pepper soup is a staple now. I somehow don't care for the others soups (as much, I suppose). A few months ago, I saw the soup of exactly the same name (but by Pacific Natural Foods) at Costco. Getting it (a 4-pack) home revealed an identical list of ingredients - I think they must be made at the same place. Nearly identical in taste, I give the Costco one a slight edge for a little more creaminess.

If they are, in fact, just rebranded Pacific soups, does anyone know if they have a version of Pacific's Cashew Carrot Ginger soup? The wife loves it.

gleam wrote:If they are, in fact, just rebranded Pacific soups, does anyone know if they have a version of Pacific's Cashew Carrot Ginger soup? The wife loves it.

I haven't seen a soup with Cashew at TJ's, but they do have a Carrot Ginger soup. So maybe not rebranded, but out of the same kitchens.

Mhays wrote:Not from Trader Joe's, but their bastard stepchild Aldi - and from what I remember about the Corn Chowder, it sounds like they used the same supplier. They were a seasonal item, frozen in baggies inside plastic ice cream type tubs. The Lobster Bisque was sheer heaven...cream and lobster stock and just a hint of je ne sais quoi.

Now, if Trader Joe's would just open a store that's not so darn hard to get to from South Evanston, I'd check it out myself!

When exactly is lobster bisque "in season" at Aldi?

Would like to give it a try!

Aldi has a number of seasonal products that come and go; I haven't seen the lobster bisque this year, but it did appear (IIRC in winter?) for two years running a couple years back.

The unfortunate thing about Aldi is that you never know which of the temporary products (some of which are excellent, some not) are going to return and which aren't. Trader Joe's seems to be a little more consistent in terms of which products they carry (but you'll probably never find a pair of flannel-lined jeans or a kid's firefighter raincoat there, either )