THRIVE Broccoli & Cheese Soup Mix

Watch out, Pioneer Woman!

You've probably all tried some kind of  dry soup mix in the past--I know we have at least a couple sitting in the cupboard. I'm not a big fan of most soup mixes--they tend to end up tasting mildly of odd chemicals, which is not my favorite dinner time flavor. Once, I made the mistake of buying a #10 can of generic broccoli & cheese soup mix...it turned green and ended up looking/tasting a lot like vomit. Not something I'd want in my regular food rotation.

This easy-to-use soup mix from our friends at Shelf Reliance is entirely different. It blows other soup mixes that I've had out of the water. It goes way beyond being palatable--it's actually pretty darn good.

THRIVE Entrees come in a variety of packaging sizes, from pouches to the standard #10 can. The #10 can gives you the best bang for your buck, but if you're just looking to try something out or have a small storage space to fill, the smaller sizes may be just what you're looking for.

Making up the soup is a no-brainer. Boil up some water, add the mix and stir thoroughly. This particular mix uses a ratio of 3 parts water to 1 part mix; you could adjust accordingly for a thicker or thinner soup. When you first add the mix, it tends to lump up--a minute or so of vigorous stirring with a whisk will get rid of those.

The completed soup is creamy and yummy--like a good broccoli & cheese soup should be! It is a legitimately very good soup, the best stuff I've had from a mix. With a good roll for dippin', you've got yourself a good meal.

The mixed soup, un-garnished.

This soup is rich and filling. Nutritionally, according to the website, a serving of 1.4 ounces of mix has 200 calories, 12 grams of fat, 20 grams of carbs and 3 grams of protein. At 142.8 calories/ounce, it has a pretty good caloric density--backpackers typically look for foods with over 100 calories/ounce--though of course you have to add water to the mix.

Shelf life on a #10 can is around 8 years when stored in doors--not as good as the 30 years of a Mountain House can, but this mix is good enough that rotating it would not be a burden. An opened canned will keep for around a year.

Cost wise, you do pay a bit more for this soup mix than similar mixes from other food storage companies, but the quality of this soup is far above other brands. It's very good and easy to make.

If you're looking to add fast-prep meals to your food storage, THRIVE Broccoli & Cheese soup mix is a very good option.

Here's the soup mix >

Click here Shelf Reliance's home page >