Rebecca

Rebecca used to teach chemistry and therefore has an unhealthy obsession with reading ingredient lists while her food is in the microwave (she does not recommend it - -it makes the food taste much less delicious). After a brief stint in the HeatEatReview headquarters, Rebecca now works in an office with no usable microwave. She hopes that someday this problem will be fixed but since she works in education, she does not expect change will happen anytime soon.

Latest Reviews by Rebecca:

Campbell’s Chunky Grilled Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

October 18, 2006 | Reviewer: Rebecca

Campbell’s Chunky Soups make their first appearance on HeatEatReview.com. We’re kicking off with Rebecca’s review of Campbell’s Grilled Chicken and Sausage Gumbo and we’ll continue reviewing plenty of tasty soups as the weather cools here in DC.

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Campbell's Chunky Grilled Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Price: $1.58
Serving: 1 cup (half a can)
Calories: 140
Fat: 4%, 2.5g
Sodium: 35%, 850mg
Protein: 8g
Carbs: 7%, 21g
Fiber: 12%, 3g

Campbell’s says: A zesty gumbo loaded with chunks of grilled chicken, sausage and vegetables like celery, red and green peppers plus lots of rice in a savory seasoned broth.

Rebecca says: Gumbo may be the best soup ever. It has almost all of the major food groups: meat, vegetables (the word gumbo comes from the Gullah word for okra), rice and sausage. I try to eat gumbo that someone else is willing to make whenever possible because cookbooks make it sound really complicated. When I saw that Campbell’s offers me a ready-to-eat gumbo with a surprisingly low amount of fat (for a gumbo), I had to try it.

A good gumbo is more like a stew: with a hearty combination of rice, meat, chicken, etc. without too much broth. The Campbell’s version, however, is relatively brothy with maybe 20% more broth than I would like. When you get a spoonful of mostly broth, the “savory seasonings” of the broth are a little overwhelming and you’ll want to get another bite of rice in to erase the pseudo-spicy taste that screams “natural flavorings.”

Other than that, the portions are relatively good - there is a hearty amount of rice and enough okra to really be a gumbo without making you hate okra. There are also some red and green pepper bits (although I didn’t know what they were until I read the can). The chicken actually looks and tastes like chicken and is not too chewy (however, I think the grill marks on the side are ridiculous) and the sausage is decently flavorful, although also a bit chewy.

In response to the claim that Campbell’s Chunky Soup eats like a meal, it’s really only a meal if you eat the whole thing, which is two servings. An entire can is quite filling although you may want a slice of bread on the side to soak up some of the broth.

Next time, I may skim a little broth off the top before I heat it to subdue the excess flavorings and equalize the broth-substance proportions. Yes, there will be a next time. I love me some gumbo, even if it’s in a can.

Filed Under Campbell's Soup Reviews, Chicken, Four Stars, No Freezer Needed, Pork | 10 Comments