Years later, I still love the offbeat vibe and lively flavors of the pasta mixes from Namaste Foods. I’ve often wondered if they would carry their culinary creativity into any other savory meals, and indeed they have with Namaste Foods Soup Cups.
Namaste Foods Soup Cups boast all of the following:
- Perfect pack-ability into lunch boxes or your desk for hunger emergencies.
- Easy “just add boiling water” preparation.
- Production in the Namaste Foods dedicated facility, which is free of gluten and the top 8 allergens.
- Creative flavors that are suitable for vegan diets (i.e. Broccoli “Cheddar” and “Chicken” Noodle).
- All-natural, non-GMO ingredients (no MSG!) with low calories (about 140 to 150 per cup) and a decent nutrient balance.
Tasting Notes for Namaste Foods Soup Cups
We tried all three varieties of Namaste Foods Soup Cups, and we took the following notes.
Vegan Chicken Noodle
Though they have an “instant” soup cup appearance and 5 minute instructions, I would call them “quick” instead. The full-width rice noodles needed more like 10 minutes in boiling water to reach tenderness. That said, there were generous amounts of noodles, which I liked, and interesting squishy little veggie bites against a solid chicken-flavored soup base.
Hearty Vegetable
This flavor didn’t sit quite as well. The “natural vegan beef flavor” had a somewhat yeasty taste that was a bit off to my palate. I think I would have preferred a true vegetable broth or tomato base. There were actually less of those little dehydrated veggies in this variety, but substantial rice noodles.
Broccoli & Non-Dairy Cheddar
We waffled back and forth on this flavor. One taster liked it a lot at first, but quickly tired of it, while I found it odd with the first initial spoonfuls, then it started to grow on me, and then it went back to odd. It didn’t really strike either of us as cheesy, but rather sharp, tangy, and almost a bit lemony. I think it needs something a little creamy added to mellow the bold flavors and add richness. And the dehydrated broccoli is also tricky – while I liked the taste of it in this soup, the texture was a bit too mushy.
Note that all three soups are very high sodium for a single serving. I like salt, but actually thought these were a little steep, even from a taste perspective.
More Facts on Namaste Foods Soup Cups
Price: $3.79 per 1.5-ounce cup
Availability: Namaste Foods Soup Cups are sold at Walmart, Kroger stores, and other retailers in the U.S. and in Canada. They are sometimes sold in the soup section, but can also be found in the gluten-free section of some stores. You can also order them online from Amazon.
Certifications: I believe Namaste Foods Soup Cups are Certified Gluten-Free and Kosher Parve, but forgot to check the packaging! It appears so via their website, but double check if concerned.
Dietary Notes: By ingredients, Namaste Foods Soup Cups are dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.*
For More Product Information: Visit the Namaste Foods website at www.namastefoods.com.
*Always read the ingredient and nutrition statement prior to consumption. Ingredients, processes, and labeling are subject to change at any time for any company or product. Contact the company to discuss their manufacturing processes if potential allergen cross-contamination is an issue for you. No food product can be guaranteed “safe” for every individual’s needs. You should never rely on ingredient and allergen statements alone if dealing with a severe food allergy.
Prep takes longer; flavors not quite there
There is so much to appreciate about these convenient lunches – from the wholesome ingredients to production in a top 8-free, gluten-free, vegan facility. But, there were two big drawbacks in our books: they had to soak much longer than instructed to soften and the flavors were more than a bit finicky. Our gang went back and forth, but just couldn’t settle in on a flavor that we wanted to keep on hand for occasional lunchtime ease.