Colorful Soup Mix

Colorful Soup Mix is one of those pantry-friendly jar mixes that actually earns its keep. It layers dried peas, lentils, rice, barley, onion, and two kinds of pasta into one cheerful homemade convenience mix, then turns into a hearty beef soup with very little fuss on cooking day.

If you like practical gifts that people will truly use, this one fits the bill. The dry mix stores well in an airtight jar or bag, cooks up into a big kettle of soup, and lands somewhere between old-fashioned beef soup and clean-out-the-pantry brilliance. No mystery powder packets required.

Ingredients for Colorful Soup Mix

For the dry soup mix, you’ll need:

• 1 beef bouillon cube
• 1/4 cup dried minced onion
• 1/2 cup dried split peas
• 1/2 cup uncooked twist macaroni
• 1/4 cup barley
• 1/2 cup dry lentils
• 1/3 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 cup uncooked tri-color spiral pasta

To prepare the soup, you’ll also need:

• 1 pound ground beef or stew beef, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 12 cups water

This mix makes a generous pot of soup, roughly 12 one-cup servings as prepared. If you serve it in bigger bowl-sized portions, count on about 8 servings instead. For cost purposes, the smaller cup serving is the safer estimate. Current ingredient pricing puts the batch at about $10.87 total, or $0.91 per 1-cup serving, though your store and brand choices will nudge that around a bit.

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How to Make Colorful Soup Mix

Layer the dry ingredients in a large cone-shaped bag, jar, or vacuum bag. Keep the tri-color spiral pasta on top so it’s easy to remove before the first simmer.

1. Layer the beef bouillon cube, dried minced onion, split peas, twist macaroni, barley, lentils, white rice, and tri-color spiral pasta in a large jar, cone bag, or vacuum-seal bag.
2. Seal the container tightly and attach the cooking directions to the outside.
3. When you’re ready to cook the soup, remove the tri-color spiral pasta from the top of the jar and set it aside.
4. In a large kettle, brown 1 pound ground beef or stew beef in a little olive oil.
5. Add 12 cups water and the remaining jar contents to the kettle.
6. Bring the soup to a low boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 45 minutes.
7. Stir in the reserved tri-color spiral pasta and simmer 15 minutes longer.
8. Serve hot.

If you’re using stew beef, cut it into small bite-size pieces so it cooks through in the simmer time and is pleasant to eat by the spoonful. Giant hunks belong in a different soup.

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Helpful Tips for Colorful Soup Mix

• Keep the tri-color pasta separate at first. That gives the peas, lentils, rice, and barley time to soften without turning the pasta mushy.
• Use a large pot. Twelve cups of water plus meat and dry ingredients expands into a full kettle fast.
• Break up the bouillon cube slightly before layering if you want easier mixing later.
• Check the soup near the end of cooking. If it gets thicker than you like, add a splash or two of hot water or broth before serving.
• Label the jar clearly. Include the meat, water, and simmer times on the tag so the recipient doesn’t have to guess.

If you enjoy homemade soup jars, you might also like Pasta Soup Mix or Turkey Noodle Soup Mix in a Jar for more pantry-friendly meal ideas.

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Variations for Colorful Soup Mix

This soup mix is flexible, but the charm is in the color and texture, so don’t swap half the jar and call it the same recipe.

• Use stew beef instead of ground beef if you want a chunkier, more old-fashioned soup.
• Brown the meat with extra onion or garlic if you’re cooking for your own table and want a little more depth.
• Serve it with crusty bread or rolls to stretch the meal further.
• Add a tossed salad on the side if you want to round it out without adding more work to the pot.

Want another layered giftable soup idea? Sun Dried Tomato & Penne Soup Mix in a Jar is another smart one to keep in your mix rotation.

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Storage for Colorful Soup Mix

Store the dry soup mix in an airtight jar, vacuum bag, or tightly sealed food-safe bag in a cool, dry cupboard. A practical shelf-life estimate is up to 1 year for best quality, since dried onion and the pasta-based ingredients lose quality before plain legumes do. Keep it away from heat, light, and moisture so the rice and pasta stay dry and the bouillon cube doesn’t clump.

Once cooked, refrigerate the soup within 2 hours and use it within 3 to 4 days. Freeze leftovers in tightly covered portions for up to 2 to 3 months for best quality. The USDA recommends using leftovers within 3 to 4 days, which is a good rule here because this is a meat-based soup.

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Serving Suggestions for Colorful Soup Mix

This is a full, hearty soup, so it doesn’t need much dressing up. Serve it with:

• Warm dinner rolls or crusty bread
• Buttered crackers
• A simple tossed green salad
• Shredded Parmesan on top, if you like a savory finish

For a casual supper, pair it with bread and call it done. For company or gifting, tuck a loaf of bread or a packet of crackers alongside the jar and suddenly you look very organized.

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💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Colorful Soup Mix

🛒 Walmart Grocery List

• Beef Bouillon Cubes, 25 count
• Minced Onion, 2 oz
• Green Split Peas, 1 lb
• Rotini Pasta, 16 oz
• Pearl Barley, 16 oz
• Lentils, 16 oz
• Long Grain White Rice, 32 oz
• Tri-Color Rotini Pasta, 12 oz
• Ground Beef, 1 lb
• Olive Oil, 17 fl 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 Colorful Soup Mix

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🖨️ Print-Friendly Colorful Soup Mix

Colorful Soup Mix

Article or recipe authorAuthor: Melissa 'Liss' Burnell

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preparation timePrep 10 minutes mins

cook timeCook 1 hour hr

total timeTotal 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

A layered homemade soup mix with lentils, split peas, rice, barley, onion, and pasta that cooks into a hearty beef soup. Estimated cost is $10.87 for the full batch, or about $0.91 per 1-cup serving, making it a practical pantry meal or gift-in-a-jar recipe.

ServingsServings 12 servings

CourseCourse Dinner, lunch, Soup

CuisineCuisine American

Budget101 Price BreakdownApprox Cost: $10.87

Ingredients

1/21x2x

• ▢ 1 beef bouillon cube
• ▢ ¼ cup dried minced onion
• ▢ ½ cup dried split peas
• ▢ ½ cup uncooked twist macaroni
• ▢ ¼ cup barley
• ▢ ½ cup dry lentils
• ▢ ⅓ cup long-grain white rice
• ▢ 1 cup uncooked tri-color spiral pasta
• ▢ 1 pound ground beef or stew beef cut into bite-size pieces
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 12 cups water

Equipment

Large cone-shaped bag, jar, or vacuum bag

Large kettle or soup pot

Measuring Cups

Wooden Spoon

Instructions

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1. Layer the beef bouillon cube, dried minced onion, split peas, twist macaroni, barley, lentils, white rice, and tri-color spiral pasta in a large jar, cone bag, or vacuum-seal bag.
2. Seal tightly and attach the cooking directions.
3. Remove the tri-color spiral pasta from the top of the jar and set it aside.
4. In a large kettle, brown the ground beef or stew beef in the olive oil.
5. Add the water and the remaining jar contents to the pot.
6. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes.
7. Add the reserved tri-color spiral pasta and simmer 15 minutes longer.
8. Serve hot.

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 estimate: about 12 one-cup servings, or about 8 larger bowl servings.
Dry mix shelf life estimate: up to 1 year in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Prepared soup storage: refrigerate within 2 hours and use within 3 to 4 days.
Freeze cooked soup for up to 2 to 3 months for best quality.
Prep time is an estimate based on measuring, layering, and labeling the mix.

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