Beef Vegetable Soup Starter Mix

When you want homemade beef vegetable soup without dragging half the pantry onto the counter, this Beef Vegetable Soup Starter Mix does the heavy lifting for you. It packs onion, bouillon, herbs, gravy mix, and dried vegetables into one jar, so all you need later is water and stew meat.

It also makes a practical pantry mix or gift jar because you can scale the soup by the cup, quart, or half-gallon without doing kitchen math before coffee. Airtight dry mixes keep best in a cool, dry cupboard, and spice-and-soup blends are generally at their best quality within about a year, which lines up nicely with Kansas State University storage guidance for soup mixes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry minced onions
• 1/4 cup onion powder
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 2 teaspoons onion salt
• 2 teaspoons summer savory
• 2 teaspoons dried celery leaves
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon dry sweet pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 7 ounces beef bouillon granules or powder
• 1/4 cup homemade dry gravy mix
• 1/2 cup dried chopped vegetables

If you like keeping homemade pantry blends on hand, pair this with Beef & Barley Vegetable Soup Mix or MYO Vegetable Soup Mix for a little variety without reinventing dinner.

🔗 Back to Menu

How to Make the Mix

1. Combine the dry minced onions, onion powder, parsley, onion salt, summer savory, dried celery leaves, mustard seeds, peppercorns, sweet pepper flakes, thyme, garlic powder, beef bouillon, dry gravy mix, and dried chopped vegetables in a large jar or vacuum-seal bag.
2. Seal the container tightly and shake or stir until the seasonings and vegetables are evenly distributed.
3. Label the jar with the soup directions so you can make one cup, one quart, or a larger half-gallon batch as needed.

🔗 Back to Menu

How to Use the Mix

You can make this soup in three easy batch sizes, depending on how many people are circling the kitchen.

1. For a single-cup serving, combine 1 1/2 tablespoons starter mix with 1 cup water and 3 ounces chopped stew meat.
2. For a quart batch, combine 4 to 5 tablespoons starter mix with 1 quart water and 1/4 pound chopped stew meat.
3. For a half-gallon batch, combine 8 tablespoons starter mix with 1/2 gallon water and 1 pound chopped stew meat.
4. Bring the mix and water to a boil in a medium or large pan and boil for 1 minute.
5. Cover and simmer for 1 hour so the dried vegetables and seasonings can soften and bloom.
6. Add the small pieces of stew beef, cover again, and continue simmering for 1 1/2 hours until the meat is tender.
7. Serve hot with dumplings, biscuits, or corn muffins.

🔗 Back to Menu

Helpful Tips

• Cut the beef small. Big chunks take longer to get tender and make a light broth feel stingy.
• Shake the jar before measuring. The heavier bouillon and dried vegetables settle, because of course they do.
• Crack the peppercorns slightly if you want a stronger pepper flavor throughout the pot.
• Use the 5-tablespoon amount for a full-flavored quart batch. If you prefer a lighter broth, start with 4 tablespoons.

🔗 Back to Menu

Variations

• Make it heartier: Add cooked barley, rice, or egg noodles near the end of cooking so they do not absorb every drop of broth.
• Add extra vegetables: Stir in frozen mixed vegetables during the last 15 to 20 minutes if you want a chunkier finished soup.
• Use it as a base: This mix works well as a shortcut seasoning base for a simple beef-and-vegetable crockpot soup.
• Gift it in a jar: Pack it in a wide-mouth jar with the cooking directions attached and a note to add stew meat, water, and biscuits on the side.

🔗 Back to Menu

Storage

Store the dry starter mix in an airtight jar or vacuum-sealed bag in a cool, dry cupboard away from heat and direct light. For best quality, use it within 12 months. That is a practical estimate based on the dried herbs, bouillon, gravy mix, and soup-mix storage guidance for dry pantry mixes.

Once prepared with water and beef, refrigerate the soup within 2 hours in shallow covered containers and use it within 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze the cooked soup for up to 3 to 4 months for best quality.

🔗 Back to Menu

Serving Suggestions

This soup was made for something sturdy on the side. Serve it with dumplings, biscuits, or corn muffins, just as written, or keep dinner simple with crackers and a small salad.

If you want to stretch the pot for a bigger family meal, add a starch on the side and finish with a little chopped parsley. Nothing fancy. It is soup, not a pageant.

🔗 Back to Menu

💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Beef Vegetable Soup Starter Mix

🛒 Walmart Grocery List

• Minced Onion, 6 oz
• Onion Powder, 2.62 oz
• Parsley Flakes, 0.25 oz
• Onion Salt, 8 oz
• Summer Savory, 1 oz
• Dried Celery Leaves, 1 oz
• Mustard Seed, 1.94 oz
• Whole Black Peppercorns, 1.94 oz
• Sweet Red Pepper Flakes, 1.5 oz
• Thyme Leaves, 0.75 oz
• Garlic Powder, 3.12 oz
• Beef Bouillon Granules, 7.9 oz
• Brown Gravy Mix, 0.87 oz
• Dried Mixed Vegetables, 1 oz

Not sure exactly what this batch costs you per serving? Here’s how to break down the real cost of any recipe so you know before you shop.

Frequently Asked Questions about Beef Vegetable Soup Starter Mix

📌 Love this Beef Vegetable Soup Starter Mix? Pin it!

🖨️ Print-Friendly Beef Vegetable Soup Starter Mix

Beef Vegetable Soup Starter Mix

Article or recipe authorAuthor: Melissa 'Liss' Burnell

(Click on the stars to vote!)

Pinterest Facebook Email

Share

Print SaveGo to Collections PDF

preparation timePrep 10 minutes mins

total timeTotal 10 minutes mins

This savory dry soup base combines onions, beef bouillon, herbs, gravy mix, and dried vegetables in one jar for quick homemade beef vegetable soup. Estimated cost is $17.38 for the full mix, or about $0.58 per 1-cup soup base serving before adding beef and water.

ServingsServings 30 servings

CourseCourse Dessert, Dinner, lunch, Sauce & Condiment, Soup

CuisineCuisine American

Budget101 Price BreakdownApprox Cost: $17.38

Ingredients

1/21x2x

• ▢ 1 cup dry minced onions
• ▢ ¼ cup onion powder
• ▢ ¼ cup parsley
• ▢ 2 teaspoons onion salt
• ▢ 2 teaspoons summer savory
• ▢ 2 teaspoons dried celery leaves
• ▢ 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• ▢ 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dry sweet pepper flakes
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon thyme
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 7 ounces beef bouillon granules or powder
• ▢ ¼ cup homemade dry gravy mix
• ▢ ½ cup dried chopped vegetables

Equipment

Large Mixing Bowl

Large jar or vacuum-seal bag

Measuring Cups

Measuring Spoons

Instructions

Prevent Sleep Mode Prevent Sleep Mode

1. Combine the dry minced onions, onion powder, parsley, onion salt, summer savory, dried celery leaves, mustard seeds, peppercorns, sweet pepper flakes, thyme, garlic powder, beef bouillon, dry gravy mix, and dried chopped vegetables in a large bowl, jar, or vacuum-seal bag.
2. Stir or shake well until evenly combined.
3. Store in an airtight jar or sealed bag in a cool, dry place.
4. To make soup, use 1 1/2 tablespoons mix with 1 cup water and 3 ounces chopped stew meat, or 4 to 5 tablespoons mix with 1 quart water and 1/4 pound chopped stew meat, or 8 tablespoons mix with 1/2 gallon water and 1 pound chopped stew meat.
5. Bring the mix and water to a boil for 1 minute.
6. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
7. Add the chopped stew beef and continue simmering, covered, for 1 1/2 hours.
8. Serve with dumplings, biscuits, or corn muffins.

Recipe Size Alteration

💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.

Notes

Yield is estimated from approximately 45 1/2 tablespoons of dry mix at 1 1/2 tablespoons per 1-cup serving.
Prep time is an estimate based on measuring and combining the dry ingredients.
Dry mix shelf life is best within 12 months in an airtight container in a cool, dry cupboard.
Prepared soup should be refrigerated within 2 hours and used within 3 to 4 days.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!