Amy’s Organic Soups: Dairy-Free + Vegan Varieties

To this day, I think of Amy’s Kitchen as the darling of the natural food industry. As conglomerates gobble up everything in site, Amy’s has remained a family-owned business and become the nation’s leader in natural frozen foods. But their shelf-stable items should not be forgotten.

Amy’s Organic Soups include a diverse selection, all of which are vegetarian and most are dairy-free and vegan, too. To note, Amy’s Organic Soups are made with whole, minimally processed ingredients, so they have naturally occurring nutrition, from fiber and protein to vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and calcium.

Tasting Notes for Amy’s Organic Soups

Thus far, we’ve sampled the following warm bowls of goodness from their dairy-free line-up:

Photos courtesy of Amy’s.

Vegan Chunky Tomato Bisque

This was my most recently sampling, and I was impressed. Amy’s has a tomato bisque with milk, but they’ve since released this vegan variety with a touch of coconut cream for richness. The flavor is bold, yet pure and perfectly salted. I found it to be just a touch too sweet (they really could tone down the organic sugar added), but it tempers well with add-ins or bread for dipping.

Fire Roasted Southwestern Vegetable

This soup has a heat that sneaks up on you … the kind that makes you keep eating, quickly, to keep it from catching up with your taste buds.I loved the flavor, though my timid taste buds couldn’t continue to eat this soup straight up. To tame the heat, I made a meal for two out of the single can, pouring it atop two bowls filled with a base of brown rice and steamed sweet potato chunks. The soup itself contains black beans, potatoes, carrots, and corn all in a spicy, tomato base. On its own, if you can handle the kick, the entire can would make a good light meal for one.

Tuscan Bean & Rice Soup

If I had a cold or the flu, this deliciously warming soup would be my go-to nourishment. It has a wonderful tomato plus vegetable soup-base with a hint of spice that adds interest without too much heat. The rice within the soup was very fine, almost like small pieces of barley. I added some more pinto beans and frozen corn (both organic to keep with the theme of course) as I felt the soup was still light on add-ins. Both Tony and I enjoyed it; I only wish I had another can on hand for my husband who now has a cold! Back to the store I go …

Butternut Squash

While both Tony and I enjoy butternut squash, anything involving a puree typically reminds us of baby food. Plus, while butternut squash itself has a light sweetness, most brands of butternut soup tend to load up the ingredients with syrupy sweeteners. Fortunately, Amy’s remedied both of these issues by thinning the squash to a smooth and soupy consistency, and only adding a hint of evaporated cane juice. The sugar enhanced the natural sweetness without overloading my taste buds. That said, the overall flavor is just slightly lacking… something that perhaps just a pinch of cayenne would fix.

Light in Sodium Lentil

Sadly, my first thought was, “hmm, needs salt.” Resisting the urge I reached for the pepper grinder instead. Both Tony and I thought this was a good move. While I often find Amy’s Chili (even the medium) a bit too spicy, this soup was on the bland side and lacked zing. Even after the peppering, the soup was still shouting for an additional herb or spice, but I couldn’t quite make out which one. Cumin? Paprika? Rosemary? Perhaps some future experimentation will tell. Beyond the flavor, I liked the heartiness of this soup. Rich with lentils, and light on liquid, I could easily fill up on a whole can. But instead, I served it over brown rice, making a little lunchtime meal for two.

Thai Coconut (Tom Kha Phak)

This was a meal in a soup! A generous hand with the coconut milk makes this soup rich and provides a flavor base that is reminiscent of mild curry – perfectly warm and lightly spicy. In terms of consistency, it was mostly soup, with just a few bits of sweet potatoes, green beans, shiitakes, and meaty tofu to break up the fluidity. Since the additions were sparse, I added some cooked brown rice, a small diced and steamed sweet potato, and a cup of spinach. It was a perfect match with Thai restaurant-quality goodness. While I love to make my own curries and coconut soups, this is a worthwhile shortcut purchase for a quick and easy dinner.

Note: The Thai Coconut soup is made with organic ingredients, but unlike the others, it isn’t certified organic.

We’ve still got so many dairy-free Amy’s Organic Soups to sample … Minestrone (pictured below), Chunky Vegetable, No Chicken Noodle, Hearty French Country Vegetable, Curried Lentil, Alphabet … and will update here as we trial them.

The Facts on Amy’s Organic Soups

Certifications: Many varieties of Amy’s Organic Soups are Certified Organic, Certified Vegan, and Certified Kosher. Check each can for specifics.

Dietary Notes: By ingredients, select varieties (varies by type) of Amy’s Organic Soups are dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan / plant-based, and vegetarian. Nonetheless, verify on the label and check with the company on their manufacturing processes for all varieties if potential allergen cross-contamination is an issue for you. Processes, ingredients, and labeling are subject to change at any time for any company / product.

For More Product Information: Visit the Amy’s website at www.amys.com.