As I mentioned in another review, I decided to stop at the store last night to pick up some sort of meat for dinner (this ended up being pork chops). For some reason, I was in the mood for some white rice to go with it and, as I have done in the past, I went looking for a can of cream of mushroom soup to use as a gravy (it works really well if you use milk instead of water).
I originally planned on picking up a can of the store brand but, as I was doing that, I noticed something a bit different; Cream of Mushroom Soup with Roasted Garlic from the Campbell’s brand. This sounded interesting so I decided to pick up a can; despite the fact a small can from Campbell’s was more expensive than a larger, family-sized can from the store brand.
I used to love Campbell’s soups but, recently, I haven’t enjoyed them as much because they always seem to be so bland (probably from the company trying to be healthier by cutting back on the salt). And, because of this, I really wasn’t expecting too much from it. In fact, as I was making it, I found myself wondering whether or not I made a mistake with this purchase.
However, after trying it, I honestly have no regrets buying this product.
As I mentioned before, I ended up using this as a soup/gravy to put over the rice I made and also used it over the pork chops because I wasn’t sure how dry they would be (they were a pre-cooked version that I had to warm up in the microwave). It turned out to be a perfect complement for both.
First, the garlic flavor in it was very noticeable. I figured it would have a hint of garlic at most. But, when I ate this, there was no mistaking that taste and it improved the flavor of both the rice and the pork as a result of that.
Also, unlike so many of the cheaper brands, there were plenty of mushrooms in this soup; both in terms of overall quantity and the size of the chunks. This gave the soup a little more substance than I probably would have gotten from a can of actual gravy.
If you are looking for something a bit different to try, either as a soup or as gravy, I recommend picking up a can of this. As I said before, it’s more expensive than the store brand. But, it’s worth it.