6 Homemade Soup Mixes in a Jar
featured review
"I made a couple of these recipes for Christmas gifts, and they were a hit!"
- ELIZABETH -
I think these dry soup mixes are the perfect handmade gift for you to give to your loved ones-and the thousands of you who have made them over the years agree!
They are affordable to make (just a few bucks a pop), they are delicious, they are thoughtful, and my favorite part-they are consumable. You give the gift, the giftee uses it and appreciates it, and then it's gone-no tchotchke sitting around waiting to be donated to the thrift store in a few months.
Why You'll Love THESE RecipeS
Thoughtful, beautiful gifts for just a few bucks a pop? These soup mix jars are a gift-giving win!
Gifts in jars are kinda my thing (I mean, I did write the book on it), and these soup recipes are maybe my most favorite gift in a jar of all. Tasty, thoughtful, and so pretty-these are the perfect handmade gift for anyone on your list.
Here's why you'll love these recipes:
- Quick and easy to make. It'll take you less than five minutes to make each jar. You'll have your whole list done in no time! And so easy kids can do it.
- So affordable. We're talking just a couple bucks per jar. Even less if you have the jars already!
- Tags included. We saved you the step of making your own tags. Each soup comes with free tags to download and print.
- Delicious results. Don't worry, I personally kitchen-tested each recipe made exactly as listed in the directions on the tag-each soup is super tasty!
SOUP MIX JAR FLAVORS
Italian Barley Soup Mix
This barley soup is tomato-based (you add a can of diced tomatoes when cooking), vegetarian, and packed full of garlic and Italian herbs. To make Italian Barley Soup Mix in a Jar, layer these ingredients in the order listed in a wide-mouth pint canning jar:
Instructions for cooking the Italian Barley Soup from mix: Remove wrapper from bouillon cube and add it, plus all remaining ingredients, plus four cups of water and one 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the barley is tender, about 20 minutes. Serve topped with grated Parmesan. Season to taste.
Split Pea Soup Mix
This beautiful green soup mix is so festive and green! I like to stir in a cup of chopped ham when it's finished cooking to make it really hearty. To make Split Pea Soup Mix in a Jar, layer these ingredients in the order listed in a wide-mouth pint canning jar:
Instructions for cooking the Split Pea Soup from mix: Remove wrapper from bouillon cube and add it, plus all remaining ingredients, plus four cups of water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the peas are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in one cup of chopped ham before serving. Season to taste.
Coconut Curry Soup Mix
This lentil soup is bright orange, packed full of robust flavor, and super delicious served with a stack of warm naan bread! To make Coconut Curry Soup Mix in a Jar, layer these ingredients in the order listed in a wide-mouth pint canning jar:
Instructions for cooking the Coconut Curry Soup from mix: Remove wrapper from bouillon cubes and add them, plus all remaining ingredients, plus four cups of water and one 14-ounce can of full fat coconut milk to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard the chile pepper before serving. Season to taste.
Five Bean Soup Mix
It doesn't get much more beautiful than this layered bean soup mix. This baby is vegetarian, but is still packed with flavor. To make Five Bean Soup Mix in a Jar, layer these ingredients in the order listed in a wide-mouth pint canning jar:
Instructions for cooking the Five Bean Soup from mix: Remove wrapper from bouillon cube and add it, plus all remaining ingredients, plus five cups of water and one 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the beans are tender and the soup is thick, about 90 minutes, adding more water as necessary to soften the beans. Remove and discard chile pepper and bay leaf before serving. Season to taste.
Chicken Noodle Soup Mix
This soup makes a great holiday gift, and it's great to keep on hand to give when someone you love comes down with a cold. To make Chicken Noodle Soup Mix in a Jar, layer these ingredients in the order listed in a wide-mouth pint canning jar:
Instructions for cooking the Chicken Noodle Soup from mix: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté one diced carrot and one diced stalk of celery until just tender, about 5 minutes. Unwrap the bouillon cube from the soup mix, and then add it, plus all remaining ingredients to the saucepan. Add in 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the noodles are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 cups chopped cooked chicken before serving. Season to taste.
Spicy Black Bean Soup
This is such an awesome, hearty soup that's packed with Southwestern flavors. I love it topped with sour cream and avocado. To make Spicy Black Bean Soup Mix in a Jar, layer these ingredients in the order listed in a wide-mouth pint canning jar:
Instructions for cooking the Spicy Black Bean Soup from mix: Remove wrapper from bouillon cube, add it, plus all remaining ingredients, plus six cups of water into a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the beans are tender and the soup is thick, about 90 minutes, adding more water as necessary to soften the beans Remove and discard the chile pepper and bay leaves before serving. Season to taste.
Want to save this recipe?
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
SOUP MIXES protips
featured review
"I made these as gifts last year without even trying them for flavor. But when I was over at the house of one of the gift recipients, I found one last soup mix in their pantry. We made it and it was delicious! I am sitting down now to make more as gifts for this Christmas."
- CHRISTINE -
WATCH Me MAKE All these SOUP MIXes IN A JAR
📥 Download the Free Labels
I've made you some free labels for all the soup mix jars that you can print off at home. Just fill out the form below to get them delivered right to your inbox.
📖 Recipe
Homemade Soup Mixes in a Jar
Ingredients
For Italian Barley Soup Mix
- 1 cup pearled barley
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes dehydrated, not packed in oil
- 1 tablespoon dried chopped onions
- 1 tablespoon dried minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
- 1 veggie bouillon cube
For Split Pea Soup Mix
- 2 cups split green peas
- ½ teaspoon celery seed
- 1 tablespoons dried chopped onions
- 1 tablespoon dried minced garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
For Coconut Curry Soup Mix
- ⅔ cup orange lentils
- ⅔ cup green lentils
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoons dried chopped onions
- 1 tablespoon dried minced garlic
- 2 veggie bouillon cubes
- 1 small dried chile pepper
For Five Bean Soup Mix
- ⅓ cup pinto Beans
- ⅓ cup green peas
- ⅓ cup black beans
- ⅓ cup great northern beans
- ⅓ cup kidney beans
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoons dried chopped onions
- 1 tablespoon dried garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small dried chile pepper optional
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 1 veggie bouillon cubes
For Chicken Noodle Soup Mix
- 1 tablespoons dried chopped onions
- 1 tablespoon dried minced garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon celery seed
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 2 cups wide egg noodles
For Spicy Black Bean Soup Mix
- 1 ½ cup black beans
- 1 tablespoon dried chopped onions
- 1 tablespoon dried garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 veggie bouillon cube
- 1 small dried chile pepper
Instructions
To make all jars:
- Layer all ingredients in a clean glass jar (pint size) in the order listed. Close lid, add tag, and gift.
To make soup (general instructions, see flavor-specific instructions in notes section below):
- Remove wrapper from bouillon cube, add it, plus all remaining ingredients, plus water into a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the soup is cooked. Remove and discard the chile pepper and bay leaves, if used, before serving. Season to taste.
Video
Notes
-
-
- Make sure to download all the tags for easy gifting.
- To Make Italian Barley Soup: Remove wrapper from bouillon cube and add it, plus all remaining ingredients, plus four cups of water and one 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the barley is tender, about 20 minutes. Serve topped with grated Parmesan. Season to taste.
- To Make Split Pea Soup: Remove wrapper from bouillon cube and add it, plus all remaining ingredients, plus four cups of water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the peas are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in one cup of chopped ham before serving. Season to taste.
- To Make Coconut Curry Soup: Remove wrapper from bouillon cubes and add them, plus all remaining ingredients, plus four cups of water and one 14-ounce can of full fat coconut milk to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard the chile pepper before serving. Season to taste.
- To Make Five Bean Soup: Remove wrapper from bouillon cube and add it, plus all remaining ingredients, plus five cups of water and one 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the beans are tender and the soup is thick, about 90 minutes, adding more water as necessary to soften the beans. Remove and discard chile pepper and bay leaf before serving. Season to taste.
- To Make Chicken Noodle Soup: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté one diced carrot and one diced stalk of celery until just tender, about 5 minutes. Unwrap the bouillon cube from the soup mix, and then add it, plus all remaining ingredients to the saucepan. Add in 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the noodles are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 cups chopped cooked chicken before serving. Season to taste.
- To Make Spicy Black Bean Soup: Remove wrapper from bouillon cube, add it, plus all remaining ingredients, plus six cups of water into a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the beans are tender and the soup is thick, about 90 minutes, adding more water as necessary to soften the beans Remove and discard the chile pepper and bay leaves before serving. Season to taste.
-
Fabulous thoughtful and tasty gifts to give to busy people! They would also be handy to take camping!
Hi there! We've been making these jars to leave in our united church's pantry, where families who need support can simply get what they need. I make 6 at a time, 1 for us, and 5 to leave in the pantry. 🙂 We use empty pasta, jam, salsa jars - whatever we have on hand (thoroughly cleaned of course). Then we line up the jars and fill them, and tie the label around. It's a great little project to do with my teenager! So far we've made the chicken noodle (excellent!) and the split pea soup. We've used half and half yellow and green peas for some eye-appeal. For our own batch, I've also added some fresh veggies (carrot, celery, onion) and used smoked sausage instead of ham. Italian pearl barley is next on our list!
With the spicy black bean soup, is it supposed to be 2 tablespoons of cumin. That seems like a lot. Just wondering before I give these to my neighbors as gifts.
Hi Tracy! Our offices were closed for the end of the year, so hopefully you tested one to see if you liked the taste. But for future reference and for anyone else who might have the same question: YES—that much cumin is intentional! Beans need a hefty dose of spices to really take on the flavor. We hope your neighbors loved them!
THANKS!
I made the Italian barley and its super thick like gruel. Added 2 more cups of water, more salt and chicken seasoning. Still super thick. Are the other soups similar in consistency? I read the comments about the dehydrated tomatoes.. 2 kinds? They rehydrate and soak up the water too. My recipients aren't overly familiar with adding seasoning to taste. Could you offer a general rule to what "works? Thanks, these are a great idea of sharing love and goodness.
Hi Judy! Pearl barley does add starch to the soup and thicken it a bit, but it should still turn out soupy. I would double-check the type of barley you used and the amounts of liquids. Did you use all four cups of water? Did you use the 14-ounce can of tomatoes with all its juices? Also, the season to taste at the end is specifically referring to salt and pepper. Depending on the saltiness of the bouillon used, your giftees might need to add some at the end to suit their own tastes. I hope this helps! =)
Everything I reads says that dried beans should be rinsed before cooking. Since the spices are added loosely on top of the beans, that prevents rinsing the beans. Is it OK that they are not rinsed before cooking?
Hi Vicky! Here are Cassie's thoughts on rinsing: “I pretty much never wash my beans before cooking—a little dirt never hurt! You’ll be boiling the soups to a high enough level to remove any bad germs, and because beans are grown in a pod, they don’t get very dirty/dusty/soil-y. But if it bugs you, just put the spices and bouillon into a separate spice packet (either in a ziptop baggie or folded parchment paper) and recommend to your giftees that they rinse the beans first.”
Hello! I just ran across your recipes and can't wait to try them. I was wondering if it is possible to switch the bouillon cubes for bouillon powder? Thank-you!
Hi Jenna! We haven't made these with bouillon powder ourselves, but we don't see why it wouldn't work. Bouillon cubes and bouillon powder are essentially the same thing! You'll just need to make sure that you're using an equivalent amount. Generally, 1 tablespoon of powder is equal to one bouillon cube. But check your package for their specific recommendation. We hope your giftees love them! =)
Love the jar soup idea. I will be making for Christmas gifts this year. Nice to have a healthy alternative.
Thanks, Kelly! We hope you love your giftees love them!
How much soup does the jars make? Feed 1 or 2 people? How long does it last in pantry - 1 or 6 months? The recipes seem to be a great idea and present the idea of good taste when finished.
Hi Donna! Each jar will make enough for four lunch-sized servings. They'll easily last 6-8 months, possibly longer, but we've never had them hanging around for that long!
I want to make your soups for Christmas gifts. What would the crock pot cooking time be for the split pea, Italian barley & Five bean soups be?
Hi Mary! All of these recipes were developed and tested for stovetop cooking. We've never made any in the slow cooker, so we can't say for sure how best to adapt them for the longer cooking time. If you try it, please let us know how it turns out for you!
Hi. I made a couple of these recipes for Christmas gifts and they were a hit! I decided to use the Italian Barley soup along with other items to create complete meal baskets - from dinner to dessert for door prizes at my HS reunion….
A classmate asked me about the sun dried tomatoes and if the were the right kind to be included in the soup mix (being shelf stable)
Like another comment, I did not know there were 2 types of packaged sun dried tomatoes and I didn’t purchase dehydrated ones. The reunion is tomorrow and I so am thankful I did not bring baskets with the potential that someone could get botulism!
Could you update and include this important info with your directions? Thank you!
Sorry for the confusion, Elizabeth! We'll update the ingredient list to be more clear. Thanks for taking the time to tell us about your experience so that we can keep making these recipes better for everyone. We're so glad your Christmas gift soups were a hit!
Hi just a quick share. I made these at Christmas for our sons and one's girlfriend. They were a hit. Both of our boys have Ninja Foodie's so thought I'd share our NF adaptations.
Italian Barley Soup Mix. NF pressure cook 20 min and allow 10 min slow release (Very Easy!)
Split Soup Mix: Added 2 extra cups of water and 2 Tablespoons of dried carrots. NF pressure 15 min. 10 min slow release. (My mom keeps us stocked with dried veggies)
Coconut Curry Soup: Add 2 extra cups of water and NF pressure 15 10 min slow release. This is our favorite so far.
Thank you so much! These are delicious and really fit the bill for both our meat eater and our non-meat eater. Will try to post the other 3 as we try them.
Hi Rebecca! That's great to hear—we're so glad they were a hit! And thank you so much for taking the time to come back and share your adaptations with everyone. That's so helpful! We really appreciate it =)
Hello,
Do you simmer these soups covered or uncovered?
Thank you!
Hi, Robin! We have the best results simmering these uncovered. You may need to add more water to the bean soups to fully soften the beans (depending on how old your beans are). Otherwise, just bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer uncovered for the time indicated on each recipe. Let us know how they turn out for you!
Thank you Danielle! I am making a double batch of the five bean soup today to take to a soup party tonight! I will post feedback.
That sounds like so much fun, Robin—I need more soup parties in my life! What a great idea. I'm looking forward to hearing how it turned out. I hope it was a huge it with everyone! =)
Good day,
The recipes say use one pint jar. However when I made jars of the curry (1 and 1/3 C lentil) and spicy black bean ( 1 and 1/2 C beans) the jars are not full. The soup jar pictured above shows a full jar. Please, what size jars are you using? Thank you!
Hi, Robin! All the jars in the photos are wide-mouth pint jars. The exact size of your ingredients (beans, lentils, etc.) will determine how full your jars get. But if you follow the recipes as written, everything should fit and your soups will turn out fine! I hope this helps =)
Thank you so much for the recipes and fun idea. I am giving these as a Christmas gift to my daughter along with a donation to our local food bank in her name. She is flying in and out for Christmas so I used my seal a meal and made them in individual bags so she didn't have to travel with jars. I will also be sending her the link to your website after Christmas :). They are so colorful!
Your recipes look fabulous and I’m excited to make them all. I have been able to find all the ingredients except for red lentils and green lentils. Where do you purchase yours? Thank you so much!
Hi, Melly! We get ours right in our regular grocery store. They're usually in the section with the dried beans!
Hi! Just wondering if you have cooked these - specifically the Coconut Curry soup in the Instant Pot? And if so, do you have the instructions for this? Thanks!
Hi, Kimberly! We haven't made any of the recipes in the Instant Pot. We've only tested the stovetop directions. If you try it out, please let us know how it turns out for you!
Hi, Have you tried making these soups in an Instant Pot or Crock Pot?
Hi, Katie! We haven't made these in an Instant Pot or a slow cooker, only using the stovetop directions. If you try it, please let us know how it turn out for you!
About how many servings does each jar make?
Hi, Christina! These each make about four lunch-sized servings =)
Hello. First of all, thank you for sharing these recipes. They are going to make great gifts.
I'm sorry if I am asking a question that has already been asked and answered. I tried reading through the comments first, but there are so many.
In all the recipes it is clearly stated 'dried X' spice, except for the Five Bean soup. It just says 'garlic' and 'onion'. Is that dried minced or dried powered?
Again, thank you!
Hello, Shelley! Thank you for pointing this out. I've updated the recipe card to be clearer. For the Five Bean Soup we recommend using dried chopped onions and dried garlic powder. =)
Thank you!
One more question. The Italian Barley soup mix calls for sundried tomatoes and I can only find ones that are encased in plastic and I fear they aren't dry-dry (like dried onions). Will they go bad or ruin the other ingredients?
Hi, Shelley! Yes, if they're not completely dry they could go bad and/or ruin the other ingredients. We've had success with finding truly dried tomatoes in bags in the produce section of our local grocery store. But if you can't find them, you could always leave them out and let your gift recipients know to add them when they make it. You could also include some of the sundried tomatoes you were able to find in a separate bag/jar along with the soup, as well. I hope this helps!
It does! Thank you so much for your suggestions. I'm glad I didn't make them up and add the not 100% dry sundried tomatoes! 🙂
Take care and have a great holiday season!
If I were to make these as a fundraiser for a youth group, what do you think people would pay for the soup mixes?
Hi, Denise! What a lovely idea to make these for a fundraiser! Our best recommendation for pricing is to discuss that with other folks involved in the fundraiser. They'll have a much better idea of what sort of price range will work well for your particular circumstances. Best of luck to you! We hope they sell well!
Just made these for a family post kidney transplant. They love to cook so I figured this would just give them a bit of help. Including the coconut milk, diced tomatoes and some other goodies to go in the care package. Thanks for these recipes. Easy to put together and they look delicious!
Hi, Jen! Thanks so much for sharing your story with us. We love hearing about thoughtful, generous actions like that. Your care package sounds like such a wonderful gift for that family! We're so happy that our recipes had a part in that.