Fig Food Company: Healthy Plant-Based Soup Review and Giveaway

I always keep a keen eye out for packaged products that are healthy and full of flavor.  When you discount the massive amount of packaged foods that make bogus health claims, smart choices are hard to find.  Just Google “bogus health claims on food labels” and you’ll see what I mean.

And soup, I just gave up trying to find good soup in the grocery aisle.  Have you seen the extensive ingredient lists on some of the soups as well as other canned foods? Thanks, but I don’t really feel like having 1000+ mg of sodium, cheap vegetable oil, and a plethora of ingredients I can’t pronounce in one small can of chicken noodle soup.

Then I stumbled on Fig Food Co. and their healthy lineup of soups in bpa-free, recyclable boxes! Yes, delicious and homemade soup in a box! Fig Food offers several 100% organic ready-to-eat and condensed soups made completely with real food for ingredients.  They source most of their ingredients from farms in North America and even have a link on their website for organic farmers to offer their food for ingredients.

Good story, awesome soup!

In addition to providing the healthiest and convenient (words that are not usually synonymous with each other), Fig Food Co. actively addresses three vital and controversial issues we face in America: health care, reducing dependence on fossil fuel, and reducing greenhouse gases.  With their 100% plant-based soups, they help fight all three of these issues.  This is the best tasting fight I’ve seen consumed!

To learn more about Fig Food’s “Movement” and join the discussion on plant-based foods and organic farming with farmers and people like you and me, visit their “Fig Talk” forum here. Plus, once you join and share your thoughts, you’ll get a $1 off coupon for the soup of your choice.

Do you like helping companies who actively support good causes and provide consumers with plant-based healthy food?  Please take a minute to help Fig Food Company win a $250,000.00 grant from Chase by voting for them at https://www.missionsmallbusiness.com/.  Once you're on the site, follow these 3 simple steps to vote:

1 - Log in through the "support" portal
2 - search for "Fig Food"
3 - hit the "support" button.

It feels good to help a company like Fig Food since it's a tough competition agains the big boy companies that seem to run and own everything.  Do they really care about consumers the way Fig Food and other small, independent businesses do? Doubtful; I think the bottom line is their main concern. Just my thoughts.  I made sure to vote and will ask friends and family to as well.

When I contacted the passionate people at Fig Food Company, they generously agreed to send me a few coupons good towards free soup of my choice to review.  Whole Foods Market is a major supplier of their eco-friendly, healthy, and delicious products; if that tells you anything about their high quality ingredients. You can find Fig Food at other places like Earth Fare and many independent natural food stores. Search for a store near you that carries their soups here.

I excitedly entered Whole Foods and quickly found their soup section to make the very hard choice of selecting the soup I wanted to try.  I finely decided on the Kabocha Squash Soup for me and the Split Pea & Potato Soup for Kelley.  These were easy to prepare lunches for work and one less meal for me to cook!

My Kabocha Squash soup had a delicate sweetness reminiscent of roasted winter squash with nutmeg and a hint of peppery spice to liven up the flavor.  Sweet and savory, healthy and a pleasure to eat; this soup is the ultimate comfort food without the gobs of cream found in a lot of soups. "Fat means flavor"? Not always, "Fat" also mean.... "Fat".

I added diced tomatoes, scallions, dried herbs, and extra spices (yes, of course cayenne) to customize to my need for speed spice. This soup was a temporary retreat from work as I gave it my full attention to slurp down the sweet and spicy squash broth.

I added the same extras to Kelley’s Split Pea and Potato Soup and she gave it two thumbs up.  I tried a bite and think the pea and potato combo work in harmony to create great taste and texture. I think without the extra spice, it wouldn’t have too much to it, but that’s the point Fig Food tries to make; they don’t add a lot of sodium and like to say “the salt shaker rests firmly in your hands.”

I’m okay with a little prep work since I can't stand when things are added for me; just let me fix my own food and I’m happy! And I'll fix Kelley’s food too…and she’s happy.

I was surprised to find Fig Food offers more than just soups now; they have prepared beans and refried beans in the same bpa-free boxes.  I saw their baked beans in Whole Foods and think I’ll get these next time.  Baked beans used to be a staple for me, but once I cut back on sugary things, I spilled cut stopped buying the beans.  It’s crazy how much sugar is in a regular can of baked beans! But Fig only has 4g of sugar per serving; I can do with that!

Yes, Please!!

Here is their full line of products….

Heat & Eat Soups: Chickpea, Tomato & Thyme; Gran Farro e Fagioli; Kabocha Squash; Mexican Bean & Rice; Nonna's Minestrone; Split Pea & Potato; Tuscan White Bean; Umbrian Lentil; Yucatan Black Bean

Condensed Soups: Tomato; Split Pea; Wheatberry

Organic Beans: Black Beans; Cannellini Beans; Chickpeas; Pinto Beans; Dark Red Kidney Beans; Refried Beans; Baked Beans

Limited/Seasonal Only: Organic Pumpkin

Want to try a healthy soup in a box for yourself?  Well, it just so happens that I have a free product coupon from Fig Food Company that I didn’t use and want to give it away to one of my readers.  Although just a coupon, this will allow you to open your taste buds to healthy food that supports a good cause and you’ll hopefully want more!

You can enter up to 6 times by doing each of the following and leaving a separate comment for each action you complete.

1. Leave a comment saying the soup or beans you want to try most.
2. Vote for Fig Food Co. to win a $250k grant by clicking here and follow the 3 steps outlined above.
3. “Like” Fig Food Co. on Facebook
4. Follow Fig Food Co. on Twitter
5. “Like” Just Add Cayenne on Facebook
6. Follow @I_Love_Cayenne on Twitter

Contest ends Friday, June 29, 2012 and I will choose one lucky winner at random and announce who won the following Monday. Please make sure to leave a way I can contact you if you are the winner.

Sorry, this giveaway is over (congrats Tiana!), but I highly recommend you find this soup or box of beans and try it for yourself soon!

Good luck and go out to try some now….it’s worth it, I promise!

Slow-Cooker Franks and Beans over Toasted Millet

Do you have healthy franks or hot dogs you want to grill but the rain won’t let up? No worries! Just add a healthy does of various beans and veggies; frozen makes it really easy. Then slow cook in spicy tomato sauce and serve over toasted millet for the healthiest version of Franks and Beans maybe….ever!

Millet seems to get lost in the shadow of quinoa’s limelight. Did you know, just like quinoa, millet is actually a seed and complete protein? It’s actually a common ingredient in bird seed mix. I bet that’s what makes some fly better than other, non-millet eating birds. Or not, but its fun to imagine!


I eat millet almost every day in its puffed form. The minute, puffy spheres add volume to crunchy cereals like Food For Life Ezekiel 4:9 or Grape Nuts. This helps me make the more expensive cereal last longer while still reaping the benefits of healthy whole grain seed.

Although quinoa is a favorite in our home, I decided to branch out and make something a little different. It’s good to change things up anyway. Thanks to slow-cookers and a few healthy packaged items, I created a fantastic meal with little work. My recipe uses minimally processed turkey franks and pasta sauce from Whole Foods. This sauce had the least ingredients and no oils added which is sadly hard to find.

That Yuengling was so good as a prop, I paid it back by drinking it all!
Wish we could get it here in Texas.

Healthy Millet Franks and Beans is Kelley tested and approved. I’m always trying to pass these tests; what’s up with that? Oh yeah, the whole husband and wife, happiness and health thing! Anyway, after letting me know how much she enjoyed lunch, she was delighted to hear we were having it again today. Having the same meal twice in the same week can be risky since Kelley may not like the meal the first time; fortunately this is not the case!

As with many of my recipes, this one is easily adaptable to your own needs and preferences. Use other veggies, fresh or frozen, choose just one bean, swap meat for veggie franks, or use fresh-made chicken sausage. The possibilities are endless. Even when the rain goes away, and you can use the grill again, remember that the rain will come back another day. Wow, I just got goose bumps from my extremely corny use of a Mother Goose nursery rhyme!

Q: Do you still use your slow cooker in the summer months or is strictly grill season for you?


We got rid of our grill when we moved last December, so I don’t have a choice unless I use a grill pan on the stove. I hope to get a grill soon, though. Those infrared ones seem to be the most popular right now.

Slow-Cooker Turkey Franks and Beans over Toasted Millet

by RC Liley

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 4 Hours

Ingredients (Serves 4 - 6)

For the Millet

• 1 cup millet, uncooked
• 1 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup homemade or store-bought tomato soup; I used Pacific Naturals Organic Low-Sodium Tomato Soup, but you can use your favorite or just add another cup of broth
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
• 10oz bag of frozen, chopped onions; you can use half of a fresh yellow or white onion too

For the Franks and Beans

• 4 healthy hot dogs/franks cut into 1/2 in circles; I used Applegate Farms Turkey Franks, but choose your favorite meat or veggie frank
• 25oz jar of pasta sauce; I chose the Whole Foods brand that had no added oils and only a mix of tomatoes with other veggies, herbs, and spices
• 10oz bag of frozen chopped onions, green peppers, and celery
• 12oz bag of frozen mixed bean and veggie blend; I used the Fiesta Blend from Kroger which has broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, and kidney, garbanzo, and navy beans
• 12oz bag of frozen chopped broccoli
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced and chopped
• 1/2 of a 12oz bag of frozen sliced carrots
• 1/4 of a 10oz bag of frozen shelled edamame
• 1/2 t cayenne powder
• 1 ½ T cumin
• 2 T parsley and oregano
• 1/2 T garlic powder

Instructions

For the Franks and Beans

Add all ingredients to your slow-cooker and mix well.

Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

Prepare Millet while waiting on the slow-cooker

Heat a non-stick sauce pan over medium heat

Add millet to dry pan and continuously stir to evenly toast; you’ll know it’s toasting when you hear the millet cracking and popping

Add garlic and onions and let cook for 30 – 45 seconds

Pour all liquids in pot and bring to a boil

Stir, cover, and reduce heat to simmer for 25 minutes

Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes

Transfer cooked millet to individual serving bowls and generously top with the franks and beans mix

Add fresh ground pepper and parsley to garnish if you like and dig in

Enjoy with a chilled lager at home or unsweetened iced tea at work

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Meatless Monday….Mexican Style

Do you have a day in the week where you omit meat from your meals? A popular day seems to be Monday as it just rolls off the tongue seamlessly; although there are other days I don’t eat meat, I practice “Meatless Monday” just like many others. As an example of this popular day to leave meat off your plate, here’s a popular weekly blog from Foodista that specifically posts on Meatless Monday.


I have been craving Mexican cuisine lately, so today is Meatless Monday with Mexican flair. Being Monday where no one is happy about the end of the weekend and beginning of a work week, it’s good to keep meal prep nice and simple. Simple is not the same as a convenient drive-thru window at a nearby fast food chain, a little prep in your own kitchen is needed. But, this can be fun and done in less than 30 minutes.

Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 can of fat-free refried pinto or black beans; check the ingredients to make sure there are no hydrogenated oils or words you can’t pronounce
- Reduced fat (part-skim) mozzarella cheese or cheese sticks
- Dried cilantro
- 16oz Jar of your favorite salsa
- 6 inch Corn tortillas; I prefer the Food For Life sprouted whole grain tortillas
- Garlic, Cumin, and Onion Powder
- Cayenne; of course!!
- Shredded lettuce

* Optional – instead of sour cream, use fat-free plain yogurt as a healthy substitute

With these ingredients you can make several things; tostadas, chips and dip, and bean burritos.
Bean Tostada
Mix the can of refried beans with your jar of salsa, cilantro, garlic, cumin, onion, and cayenne powder. Cut or shred the cheese to your liking. Spread the bean mixture on top of a corn tortilla and sprinkle about 1/2 or 1 ounce of cheese on top; toast in a toaster over or conventional oven at 375 degrees until the edges start to turn brown and crispy. Remove from oven, let cool, add shredded lettuce and a dollop of plain yogurt if desired, and eat!

Chips and Dip

Mix the beans and other ingredients like you did for tostadas, then mix in 6 ounces shredded cheese. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, microwave 30 more seconds, stir; continue until the cheese is melted and well incorporated in the mix. Cut the corn tortillas into 6 or 8 wedges, sprinkle with a little salt, and bake in a 350 degree pre-heated oven until lightly browned (about 5 – 8 minutes). Now you have homemade chips and dip. Mix the plain yogurt in the dip if you would like, it adds a cool and tangy taste that’s pleasing to the palate.

Bean Burritos

With the same bean mixture as the other two quick-fix recipes, fill the middle of a corn tortilla with about 2 heaping spoonfuls and a half ounce of cheese. Wrap in paper towel and microwave for 30 – 40 seconds; enjoy!  Since these are smaller, you will probably want more than one.  They are more like flautas, only not fried and much better in my opinion.

For reference – an ounce of cheese is similar to four dice; if shredded, about a 1/4 cup.

The combination of beans and a whole grain like corn provides all essential amino acids to make a complete protein, so you will not miss the meat today. Treat your friends, family, and self to one or all of these easy Meatless Mexican meals this Monday and relax…..Monday is almost over!

Top Five Healthy and Tasty Dip Substitutions

Do you think the Frito-lay Bean Dip is the best bean dip ever and nothing can replace it?  Or, do you savour Tzatziki sauce with all of it's garlicky, dill flavored goodness?  Well, try these variations for a guilt-free substitue to some classic favorites.

• Canned Fat-free Refried Beans:  Most stores sell fat free refried black or pinto beans in a can. Check the ingredients to ensure only cooked beans, water, salt, and a few spices are listed. They are high in sodium, so try to rinse them with water over a strainer if you are concerned.  You can just mash them up as is and use immediately as a dip, or add some extra flavor by thoroughly mixing garlic and onion powder, cumin, cilantro, and salsa.  Don't be scared to try other variations incorporating mustard, yogurt, other herbs (basil, oregano, dill, etc), and spices (cayenne, turmeric, wasabi powder, etc.).



One of my favorite stores with one of my favorite products.

• Low-fat Cottage Cheese Garlic Dip:  Cottage cheese tastes great on its own, but mix in some garlic powder, onion powder, dill, pinch of cayenne, and a touch of lemon juice.  Let the dip sit in the fridge for at least an hour for the flavors to marry together.  If you don't like the lumps in cottage cheese, you can puree everything together or use Greek yogurt.  Either way, you'll have a protein packed dip ready for whole grain chips, crackers, or crudites.
• Low-cal Guacamole:  Take prepared guac, or prepare it yourself, then add a small jar of salsa and mix thoroughly.  The salsa will add to the amount of dip you have and spread the calories across the board.  This way you can serve more if you have company, and feel great while doing it.

• Healthy Hummus:  You will need a food processor for this one.  Take a can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed in a strainer.  Add to food processor with cumin, paprika, parsley, basil, 3 garlic cloves, pepper, and any favorite veggie you like such as red pepper, jalapenos, eggplant, or spinach.  Traditional hummus calls for olive oil and tahini (sesame seed butter), but I use just a touch of high quality olive oil and chicken broth to blend everthing together.  Just add the broth a tablespoon at a time until you get the consistency you want.  Allow to chill and let the flavors blend, then enjoy with raw veggies, as a sandwich spread, or whole grain crackers.
• Sweet Heat Chip Dip:  I won a contest at Food Should Taste Good with this recipe. Take 6 oz fat-free cream cheese (softened), ¼ cup plain non-fat yogurt, ¼ cup salsa, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon horseradish (optional), 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, Salt and pepper to taste. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Let chill for 1-2 hours to let flavors meld. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top and serve with your favorite Food ShouldTaste Good® chips, sliced apples, or as a tasty spread on toast.  If you don't have cream cheese, low-fat cottage cheese or fat free greek yogurt would work well too.

I hope you can use one of these to replace a higher calorie snack without sacrificing flavor.  There are many substitutions for some of our favorite things, stay tuned to see more in a future post.