Soup Nutsy Tomato Tortellini Soup a smart choice
April 9, 2010
Megan Ogilvie
Round about 11 a.m., the subterranean Soup Nutsy, “purveyor of world gourmet soups,” starts to get busy. Real busy.
The lunch-time lineups at its two downtown locations, both found in the bowels of office towers, are legendary. But cubicle dwellers, dressed in rumpled suits and frenetically pecking at BlackBerries, will brave the wait for their ladle of soup.
Each day, more than a dozen kinds of soup bubble in black kettles. And, just like the Seinfeld “Soup Nazi” episode that inspired this soup seller, a label is stuck on an empty pot advising late-comers “No soup for you!”
Some varieties — the sherried beef stroganoff, say, or the creamy asparagus with blue cheese — are probably not so good for you.
But we wanted to see if a healthy sounding choice was, in fact, healthy.
The tomato tortellini Florentine — a chunky tomato soup with plump, cheesy tortellini and swirls of green spinach — certainly was.
A medium, 16-ounce serving has only 200 calories. And with just two grams of fat the soup is a dieter’s dream.
“It’s awesome!” says registered dietitian Shannon Crocker, sounding just a little bit surprised that a take-out food could be such a healthy option. “This is a great choice for people who are watching their weight.”
For those who want a lunch with enough heft to get them through a tough afternoon in the office, the soup is startlingly filling.
Crocker was not surprised. Studies have shown soup is a satisfying meal. The high-volume, lower-calorie liquid fills the stomach and diners feel content because it takes a while to slurp it up.
The soup we tested had nine grams of protein, most certainly from the cheese-filled tortellini, which Crocker says will also help keep people feeling full throughout the afternoon.
“The only issue, which is impossible to get away from when eating out, is the 1,200 mg of sodium in the soup,” Crocker says. “That’s half of the maximum recommended intake in a day.”
Still, it’s a minor quibble. The sodium level in this soup is comparable or lower than those of other soups from popular sandwich outlets.
“This soup has great nutritional value,” she says. “Just stay clear of packaged or processed foods and the salt shaker for the rest of the day.”
And any criticism is outweighed by the fact the soup comes with a choice of two sides, which include an apple, orange, banana, bread roll or carrot and celery sticks.
“Not too many take-out places offer you that,” says Crocker.
VERDICT: A wise lunch choice. Enjoy every slurp.
Find out how other popular take-out meals stack up:
Tim Hortons Hot Breakfast Sausage Sandwich
Spicy Salmon Sushi Roll
Pad Thai
Veal Parmigiano
Peameal Bacon Breakfast Sandwich
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