Soups served hot instore or packed in to-go containers are enjoying a renaissance in grocery prepared foods departments, as more consumers seek meal options that are affordable, convenient, healthy and delicious.

New from Blount Fine Foods’ Clam Shack line of soups is a Thai Shrimp Soup.

The latest addition to the Blount roster capitalizes on surging demand for Asian and Hispanic soups, said Bob Sewall, the company’s vice president of sales and marketing.

“Thai is very hot right now, and it tends to be among younger customers. Bold flavors and hearty recipes, that’s the key,” Sewall said. “Especially if you’re using soup as meal replacement.”

Also new from Blount are economy 10-ounce containers of three of its most popular soups and one of its most popular hot sides: Chicken Noodle, Tomato, Broccoli Cheddar and Macaroni and Cheese.

All retail for a recommended $3.99. And Blount is encouraging its retail partners to cross-merchandise them with a sandwich or salad in their deli prepared sections. That has the potential to give consumers a healthy, filling, delicious meal for under $10, Sewall said.

“Restaurant patrons are moving into deli, and that’s how the restaurant customer eats, picking two. It gives consumers a real value in these tough economic times.”

Also new from Blount is a Panera-branded Tuscan tortellini soup, which features three different cheeses and ships to retail in 16- and 32-ounce containers.

“There’s nothing like it on the market,” Sewall said. 

Also new in the Panera line is a 12-ounce chili bowl, which will supplement the existing line of soup bowls produced by Blount for the quick-service chain.

In addition to packaged products, Blount is seeing big growth again this year in hot to-go soups sold in deli prepared departments. Cheesy Chicken Enchilada, Chicken Thai, Green Chile Chicken and the new Shrimp Thai are all new entries in the lineup of Blount soups that are sold hot to-go in retail delis.

“The category overall is strong, and hot to-go is really coming back, retailers are really embracing it,” Sewall said. “The reason is, it’s very low-labor, and it’s very profitable.”

Hot soup to go not only is convenient, it’s affordable, he added.

“In tough times, people look to soup as a meal replacement. A soup and a salad or a soup and a sandwich, it’s high-quality, affordable and healthy. People are skipping some of the higher-price proteins.”