I love split pea soup, but I’m the only one in my family who will eat it. No one else is brave enough to try split pea, but they’re still convinced they don’t like it. I know they’re missing out on a classic soup that’s full of flavor. Because no one else in my household will even taste split pea soup, it isn’t worth making from scratch, so I occasionally buy canned varieties. Canned soups allow soup lovers to enjoy varieties they might otherwise never have without going to a lot of trouble or going to a restaurant. I recently bought a can of Campbell’s Split Pea With Ham & Bacon, and the following review will help you decide if Campbell’s split pea soup is worth buying and trying.
Ingredients and Nutritional Information
Campbell’s Split Pea With Ham & Bacon contains 2 ½ servings per can and has 180 calories per serving. One serving consists of ½ cup of condensed soup, and since it’s prepared with water, it doesn’t contain additional calories upon preparation. Each serving also contains 3.5 grams of fat, 5 grams of fiber (20% of the daily value), 10 grams of protein, and 27 grams of carbohydrates. Surprisingly, according to the label, this soup doesn’t contain a significant source of vitamin A, iron, calcium, or any other vitamins. Campbell’s Split Pea With Ham & Bacon only contains 8% of the daily value of vitamin A, 2% of the daily value of calcium, and 8% of the daily value of iron.
I usually don’t pay attention to serving sizes, but I do pay attention to calories, and I can easily eat an entire can of soup for lunch. This entire can of soup contains a whopping 450 calories, and almost 100% of the daily value of sodium. This is quite high for a single meal, so I won’t eat an entire can in one sitting.
The first three ingredients in this Campbell’s soup are cooked split peas, water, cooked ham with water added, and bacon. It contains less than 2% natural smoke flavor, other unspecified flavoring, celery, sugar, potato starch, salt, wheat flour, and carrots. According to the label, the ham is cured with water, salt, sugar, sodium phosphates, sodium ascorbate, and sodium nitrate. The bacon was also cured with multiple varieties of sodium. No wonder this soup made by Campbell’s contains so much salt!
Preparation and Serving Suggestions
I was very surprised this split pea soup made by Campbell’s doesn’t contain more vitamins and minerals, but the label says a serving is equal to a ½ cup serving of vegetables. It’s a great alternative to canned peas or other veggies. The label doesn’t offer serving suggestions, but Campbell’s split pea soup is a great side dish that can be paired with almost any meal that goes well with a vegetable.
The Campbell’s label provides quick and easy directions, and says to slowly mix the contents with one can of water using a whisk or a fork. It can be heated on the stove while stirring often or heated in the microwave in a covered bowl for 2 ½ to 3 minutes. It also suggests leaving it in the microwave for one minute before stirring. I’ve found it is in fact necessary to use a utensil other than a spoon to stir the product since it has a very thick and lumpy consistency.
Flavor and Price
I paid $1.59 for my can of Campbell’s Split Pea With Ham & Bacon, and it was well worth the price. This condensed soup made available by Campbell’s enables me to have the soup I love without having to make it from scratch. It’s full of tender, flavorful peas and ham, and the consistency is just right. Although I feel this Campbell’s soup contains a high level of sodium, it’s a good source of fiber and is a healthy side dish when consumed in moderation. If you love split pea soup, I highly recommend trying Campbell’s. It’s a small price to pay for a delicious classic soup that’s easy to prepare.
