Review: Harmony House Gourmet Soup & Chili Pack

Last Updated on January 3, 2019 by mountainswithmegan

Harmony House recently sent me a box of their Gourmet Soup & Chili Pack to test out. Wanting to try it immediately, I brought a few packages with me to work. I’ve mentioned in previous posts that I work as a wilderness therapy guide in the Utah desert. Basically, I’m backpacking all week long with a group of teens and a few co-workers.

When it was my turn to cook for my co-workers, there we six of us and I had only brought two packets. To make the meal bigger I added tofu, fresh vegetables, and some dehydrated bean flakes. It was a filling meal for all of us, and the extra items added did not dilute the chili flavor at all. It was still delicious. I asked my co-workers their opinions on the taste of it, and they all gave me the thumbs up.

What’s good about Harmony House Gourmet Soup & Chili Pack:

• The flavor is probably the best thing. Harmony House nailed the spice blend in these packets. One of my carnivorous co-workers took a bite of the Southwest Mixed Bean Chili and said in a delighted tone, “Whoa, is there meat in this?” I replied that it was vegan, actually.
• They are filling. If I eat one of these packages I feel full and satisfied. Without any extra ingredients added, they make what equates to a large bowl of food.
• Eating a well rounded diet is a difficult thing to achieve while on an extended backpacking trip. It’s so difficult to actually consume an adequate amount of vegetables. This makes it easy. The packets are lightweight and take up a small amount of space.
• It’s easy to prepare. You just add water and let it cook for 10 minutes. So if you are typically bad at cooking or lazy about it, this would be an easy solution for you.
• It’s easy to add stuff to it to for additional flavors or nutrients or whatever you are looking for. Ideas include tossing in rice or pasta to bulk it up, adding some type of dried meat or a meat substitute, extra dehydrated beans, and cheese. Or you can add less water to make it thicker and put them on tortillas for a burrito type of meal. Basically, you can eat it as a stand alone meal or use it as a base for something else.
• Harmony House is health conscious about their products. The soup & chili pack is gluten free, low-fat, Kosher, and vegan. So that’s helpful if you’re on any of those diets or just generally like to stay healthy.
• The company was created and is owned by a married couple from North Carolina. I’m all about supporting mom-and-pop style businesses instead of large companies. You can read about the Harmony House story on their website.

Room for Improvement:

• The meals are low-calorie. I’m talking anywhere from 100-300 calories per packet. This can be a pro or con depending on what you’re looking for. If you are on a shorter backpacking trip (where consuming loads of calories isn’t a priority) or want to lose weight, the low amount of calories in these packets may be a positive thing. However, if you are on an extended backpacking trip where high-calorie consumption is crucial then these meals will need to be supplemented.

Overall, I think Harmony House created a delicious product that is easy to prepare and add your own spin to.

*Opinions are my own. None of that only saying positive things to get free stuff BS.