Country Soup Mix

Country Soup Mix is the kind of pantry jar that earns its keep. You layer grains, legumes, pasta, and seasonings in one pretty little package, then turn it into a hearty vegetable-beef broth soup with water, celery, carrots, tomatoes, and a little cabbage if you have it hanging around.

It also makes a solid gift because it looks good on the shelf and does not require a culinary degree or interpretive dance to cook. Just add the jar to a pot with the fresh ingredients and simmer until everything turns tender and cozy.

Ingredients

For the jar, you will need:

• 1/2 cup barley
• 1/2 cup dried split peas
• 1/2 cup uncooked white rice
• 1/2 cup dry lentils
• 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
• 1/2 cup uncooked alphabet pasta
• 1 cup uncooked twist macaroni

To prepare the soup, add:

• 1 jar Country Soup Mix
• 3 quarts water
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 cup shredded cabbage, optional
• 2 cups diced tomatoes

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Instructions

Layer the dry ingredients in a jar, adding the seasonings last so they settle down through the mix and give the jar that old-fashioned country-store look.

1. Empty 1 jar of Country Soup Mix into a large saucepan or soup pot.
2. Add 3 quarts of water, chopped celery, sliced carrots, shredded cabbage if using, and diced tomatoes.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
4. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the vegetables, grains, legumes, and pasta are tender.
5. Stir before serving so the pasta, rice, and barley are evenly distributed in the broth.

If you want a slightly thicker bowl, let the soup stand 5 to 10 minutes off the heat before serving. The rice, barley, and pasta keep soaking up broth like they were born for the job.

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Tips for Best Results

Use a large pot. This recipe starts with 3 quarts of water, and the dry ingredients expand quite a bit. A roomy pot saves you from soup sloshing over the edge at the first boil.

Keep the simmer gentle. A hard boil can make the pasta turn mushy before the barley and split peas finish softening. Low and steady wins this round.

Chop the vegetables evenly. Small, similar pieces cook at the same rate, which means you do not end up with one crunchy carrot coin and one celery strand that gave up 20 minutes ago.

Store the dry mix airtight. For best quality, keep the sealed jar in a cool, dry pantry and use it within about 12 months. That estimate tracks well with extension guidance for soup mixes and dry pantry staples, which hold quality longest when kept cool and dry, as outlined by Kansas State University Extension’s safe food storage chart.

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Variations

Make it vegetarian. Swap the beef bouillon granules for vegetable bouillon granules. Everything else can stay the same.

Add more bulk. Stir in extra cabbage or another stalk of celery if you like a more vegetable-heavy soup.

Use it as a gift jar. Tie on the cooking directions and pair it with a wooden spoon or soup mug. It is practical, shelf-stable, and far more useful than another dust-collecting trinket.

If you like jarred soup gifts, take a look at Turkey Noodle Soup Mix in a Jar or Love Soup Mix for a couple more pantry-friendly options.

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Serving Suggestions

Serve Country Soup Mix as a main-dish soup with buttered bread, cornbread, or crackers. Since the broth is savory and the soup is loaded with grains and pasta, it does not need much fussing.

For a fuller cold-weather supper, pair it with a simple green salad or a grilled cheese sandwich. If you are building a soup-mix gift basket, add a loaf pan of quick bread or a copy of your favorite Soup Mix Recipes collection.

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Storage

Dry mix: Store the sealed jar in a cool, dry place away from heat and moisture. A conservative best-quality estimate is up to 12 months. The mix is shelf-stable, but quality drops faster once dried herbs and bouillon lose strength, so airtight storage matters.

Prepared soup: Cool leftovers promptly, divide them into shallow containers, and refrigerate. Use within 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze it for 2 to 3 months for best quality.

Reheating tip: The pasta, rice, and barley will thicken the broth as the soup sits. Add a splash of water when reheating to loosen it back up.

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Make-Ahead and Gifting

This mix is made for advance prep. Assemble several jars at once, line them up in the pantry, and you have easy dinners or giftable soup starters ready to go.

If you are giving it away, attach a tag with the cooking directions: add the full jar to 3 quarts of water with 2 chopped celery stalks, 2 sliced carrots, 1 cup shredded cabbage if desired, and 2 cups diced tomatoes, then boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 1 hour.

For the prettiest jar, layer the larger grains and pasta first and add the seasonings last. They sift downward through the gaps and make the whole thing look far fancier than the effort required. We like that kind of math.

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💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Country Soup Mix

🛒 Walmart Grocery List

• Pearl Barley, 16 oz
• Green Split Peas, 16 oz
• White Rice, 32 oz
• Lentils, 16 oz
• Dried Minced Onion, 9 oz
• Parsley Flakes, 0.25 oz
• Salt, 26 oz
• Lemon Pepper, 3.5 oz
• Beef Bouillon Granules, 7.9 oz
• Alphabet Pasta, 12 oz
• Twist Macaroni, 16 oz
• Country Soup Mix, 12 oz jar
• Celery Hearts, 1 bunch
• Carrots, 2 lb
• Green Cabbage, 1 each
• Diced Tomatoes, 14.5 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 Country Soup Mix

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🖨️ Print-Friendly Country Soup Mix

Country Soup Mix

Article or recipe authorAuthor: Melissa 'Liss' Burnell

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preparation timePrep 15 minutes mins

cook timeCook 1 hour hr

total timeTotal 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

This layered soup jar combines barley, split peas, rice, lentils, pasta, and savory seasonings for a hearty homemade vegetable soup. Prepared as directed, it makes about 8 servings, with an estimated total batch cost of $5.24 or about $0.66 per serving.

ServingsServings 8 servings

CourseCourse Dinner, lunch, Seasoning/Spice Mix, Soup

CuisineCuisine American

Budget101 Price BreakdownApprox Cost: $5.24

Ingredients

1/21x2x

• ▢ ½ cup barley
• ▢ ½ cup dried split peas
• ▢ ½ cup uncooked white rice
• ▢ ½ cup dry lentils
• ▢ 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
• ▢ 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• ▢ 2 teaspoons salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon lemon pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
• ▢ ½ cup uncooked alphabet pasta
• ▢ 1 cup uncooked twist macaroni
• ▢ 3 quarts water
• ▢ 2 stalks celery chopped
• ▢ 2 carrots sliced
• ▢ 1 cup shredded cabbage optional
• ▢ 2 cups diced tomatoes

Equipment

1 quart wide-mouth jar

Large saucepan or soup pot

Measuring Cups

Measuring Spoons

Wooden Spoon

Instructions

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1. Layer the barley, split peas, white rice, lentils, dried minced onion, dried parsley, salt, lemon pepper, beef bouillon granules, alphabet pasta, and twist macaroni in a 1-quart jar, adding the seasonings last.
2. To prepare the soup, empty the jar into a large saucepan or soup pot.
3. Add the water, chopped celery, sliced carrots, shredded cabbage if using, and diced tomatoes.
4. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
5. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 1 hour, or until the vegetables, grains, legumes, and pasta are tender.
6. Stir and 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

Estimated yield is about 16 cups finished soup, or 8 servings of roughly 2 cups each.
Prep time is an editorial estimate based on measuring the jar ingredients and chopping the vegetables.
Store the dry mix in an airtight jar in a cool, dry pantry for up to 12 months for best quality.
Refrigerate prepared soup within 2 hours and use within 3 to 4 days.
Freeze prepared soup for up to 2 to 3 months for best quality.

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