Fig Food Soups

The Fig Food Company makes nine delicious, organic plant-based soups that taste just like homemade, which is just what you would expect from a company that uses organic ingredients grown primarily by North American farmers. The first time I read about Fig Food Company, a wave of trust washed over me – and not just because the founder, Joel Henry is an honorable guy who cares passionately about nutrition, organic farming, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, and improving the environment – but because the ingredients list reads like a “who’s who list of what grows on a farm.” So, when I don’t have time to make homemade soup, I rely on soups made by Fig Food Company.

Ingredients make or break a meal; a cook can make a tasty meal with fresh high quality ingredients but even the most well-trained chef can’t make a memorable meal with genetically modified, mediocre or processed food products. The ingredients in soups made by Fig Food include some of the best organic foods available – tomatoes, potatoes, onions, celery, carrots, leeks, garlic, parsley, beans, extra virgin olive oil, brown rice, lentils,  and more – which makes the soups flavorful, nutritious and memorable.

Nonna’s Minestrone (pictured above) combines “creamy borlotti beans, a potpourri of vegetables and Nonna’s special blend of herbs and spices” while Umbrian Lentil (pictured below) “features the sublime nuttiness of lentils backed by a chorus of tomatoes, vegetables, and spelt, finished with a touch of minced spices.” When I read those descriptions to a group of kids who were slurping down the soup, they told me “just say it tastes great.” 

The soups are sold in BPA-free microwavable 14.5 ounce pouches  with approximately two servings per pouch. Each serving provides 80-180 calories, 2-9 grams of protein (with most soups providing 7 grams), 2-9 grams of fiber, 1-5 grams of sugar, and less than 250 mg of sodium. As Joel likes to say, “We only use a touch of salt. If you want more, the salt shaker rests firmly in your hand.” Although Joel credits the farmer as the hero, the organic farmer can’t be a hero without companies like Fig Food who support organic farming efforts and deliver these products to the consumer in a nutritious and tasty way.

The company offers nine  (9) ready-to-eat soups, including

• Chickpea, Tomato & Thyme
• Gran Farro e Fagioli
• Mexican Bean & Rice
• Tuscan White Bean
• Umbrian Lentil
• Yucatan Black Bean
• Nonna’s Minestrone
• Split Pea and Potato
• Wondrous Tomato (illustrated below)

The soups are available nationwide at fine natural grocery and health food stores including Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Fresh Market and on-line through www.vitacost.com for about $4.69 per pouch. To read more about Fig Food and the company’s full product line, go to the company website:  figfood.com.