What's Cookin'? Tomato Basil Soup, That's What.

I've never been a big Halloween person. It's just not my thing.

So, tonight, I decided to have a quiet night at home instead of getting into trouble tonight and nursing a hangover tomorrow. My costume? Nike shorts and a tank top. My plans? Laundry, cooking, and my DVR.

Now, I'm sure most (if not all) of the people who are taking the time to read this are Texans. And if you are a Texan, then you know what an HEB Grocery Store is. But, maybe what you don't know is that every fall and winter, HEB sells these:

These are HEB Soup Kits. They also sell a Texas ranch soup version, a tortilla soup version, etc., etc. I picked this one because I just tried Jason's Deli's tomato basil soup and I just about died. I don't know what they put in that stuff. But, it was soo freakin' good. And, I don't really like soup. But, I gave this one a go because I was coming off that JD high.

These soup kits come with pretty much everything you'll need to make the soup. You really only have to add in things that you probably already have at home. This kit came with this inside: 

A packet of spice, a ramikin of tomato paste and some diced tomatoes. All I had to bring to the table (stove) was olive oil, butter, and water. 

The above statement is proof of how was painfully easy this was to make. If you don't believe me, just look at the directions. 

No one can screw this up. Not even me. I took pictures of the entire cooking process, but I'll just show you the finished product: 

Okay. So, I'm not a food photographer. But you know that looks good. And this is an excellent meal for a dinner for one. It's simple, not a lot of dirty pans, and not a lot of time. 

As for how the dish tasted, I thought it was good. The flavor wasn't as complex as Jason's, but it was good for what it was - for the amount of time and effort it required and for its price (about $3). Overall, I'd give it a C+. If I had added a 1/2 sandwich or something to go along with it, that grade might have been a B-. The "meal" just let me a bit unfulfilled. But, that's kind of my bad. What did we learn here tonight, people? Soup isn't a meal. 

Now you guys tell me -- what's your go-to-meal when you're cookin' solo?