Nothing beats a bowl of hot soup on a cold day. It should come as no surprise, then, that giving soup mixes in a jar as gifts has grown in popularity over the past several years for a multitude of occasions like Christmas, birthdays, and housewarmings.
Three Recipes for Jarred Soup Mixes
Follow the instructions below to create each jarred mix. Then print off the recipe cards using Adobe and attach them to the jars using ribbon or yarn. The cards have additional ingredients needed to complete the recipes, cooking instructions, and the ingredient list for the jarred mix in case the recipients want to recreate the mix themselves.
Creamy Chicken, Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup Mix
Ingredients
- 2.75 ounce package gravy mix
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
- 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
- 1 tablespoon dried celery flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/3 cup uncooked wild rice
- 1 cup uncooked white rice
- 3 tablespoons dried mushrooms, coarsely chopped
Directions
- Pour gravy mix into the bottom of a clean, wide-mouth pint jar.
- Stir together chick bouillon granules, and onion, celery, and parsley flakes in a large bowl.
- Carefully add the bouillon, onion, celery, and parsley flake mixture to the jar, forming a second layer.
- Combine wild and white rice in a large bowl.
- Add the rice mixture to the jar, forming a third layer.
- Top the jar with the dried, chopped mushrooms.
- Decorate the jar as desired and add a gift tag with instructions for making the soup.
Layered Dried Bean Soup Mix
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon dried pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
- 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup dried kidney beans
- 1/2 cup dried split yellow peas
- 1/2 cup dried black beans
- 1/2 cup dried red lentils
- 1/2 cup dried small red beans
- 1/2 cup dried split green peas
Directions
- Combine first nine ingredients in a large mixing bowl, place in a resealable plastic bag, and set aside.
- Place the dried kidney beans in the bottom of the jar.
- Add the dried split yellow peas to the jar, forming a second layer.
- Add the dried black beans to the jar, forming a third layer.
- Add the dried red lentils to the jar, forming a fourth layer.
- Add the dried small red beans to the jar, forming a fifth layer.
- Add the dried split green peas to the jar, forming a sixth layer.
- Add the plastic bag with seasonings to the jar.
- Decorate the jar as desired and add a gift tag with cooking instructions.
Beef and Barley Soup Mix
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup beef bouillon granules
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
- 1/4 cup dried minced onions
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons dried celery flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon dried minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup dried lentils
- 1 cup dried medium pearl barley
- 3 bay leaves
Directions
- Combine first seven ingredients in a large bowl, and carefully pour in the bottom of a clean, wide-mouth pint jar.
- Add the dried lentils to the jar, forming a second layer.
- Add the dried medium pearl barley to the jar, forming a third layer.
- Add the bay leaves to the jar, forming a fourth layer.
- Decorate the jar as desired and add a gift tag with cooking instructions.
Layering Tips
For optimal results when layering soup mix ingredients, Organized Christmas suggests using a canning funnel to ensure layers settle evenly. Following soup mix recipes exactly and layering ingredients "small to large" -- or where the finest-textured ingredients are on the bottom of the jar, and the bulkiest on the top -- is also helpful when it comes to creating a picture-perfect product, notes Organized Christmas.
Soup's On
For an easy, fool-proof gift that can't go wrong, consider the use of soup mixes in a jar. Be sure to experiment with different recipes and taste combinations to find a product that will keep your friends and family coming back for more!
