Need a hearty pantry meal that doesn’t taste like cardboard and regret? Farmhouse Soup Mix keeps a full pot of soup within arm’s reach, using dried grains, pasta, lentils, split peas, bouillon, and a few simple seasonings layered right in the jar.
It’s an old-fashioned soup jar mix with plenty of texture from barley, rice, lentils, alphabet pasta, and spiral macaroni. Once you add water, celery, carrots, cabbage, and tomatoes, it simmers into a filling vegetable-beef style soup that stretches dinner without much fuss. If you like keeping a few pantry-ready meals on hand, you might also enjoy French Market Soup Mix or Chicken Noodle Soup in a Jar.
Stored in an airtight jar or vacuum-sealed bag in a cool, dry cupboard, this dry soup mix keeps best for about 6 months for best quality, which is a practical estimate based on the seasoning blend and dried pantry ingredients. The finished soup is just as flexible. Add leftover cooked beef, use extra cabbage, or serve it with a toasted Ham & Cheese Bagel if you want to turn a simple soup night into an actual meal. For safe leftover handling, the USDA recommends using refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days.
Farmhouse Soup Mix Recipe
You’ll Need:
- 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 2 tablespoons beef bouillon flakes
- 1/2 cup quick-cook barley
- 1/2 cup dried split peas
- 1/2 cup uncooked rice, not instant
- 1/2 cup dry lentils
- 1/2 cup uncooked alphabet pasta
- 1 cup flavored spiral macaroni, uncooked
Layer the ingredients in a large cone-shaped bag, jar, or vacuum bag. Seal tightly, then attach the cooking directions to the container so the soup can go straight from pantry to pot without any guesswork later.
Expert Tip: If you want the finished jar to look neat instead of like a pantry avalanche, add the finest ingredients first and the larger pasta last. It layers more cleanly, and you won’t spend ten minutes tapping the jar on the counter like it owes you money.
To Use:
Empty 1 package of mix into a stockpot with 3 quarts water, 2 chopped celery stalks, 2 sliced carrots, 1 cup shredded cabbage, and 2 cups diced tomatoes. Cook over medium-low heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the vegetables are tender.
This batch makes about 12 one-cup servings, depending on how much the barley, rice, pasta, and legumes swell as they cook. Serve it as a light lunch, or ladle out bigger bowls if dinner needs to handle itself tonight.
Let leftover soup cool slightly, then refrigerate it in shallow airtight containers for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months. Keep the dry mix itself in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for about 6 months for best quality.
Note: The flavored spiral macaroni adds a little extra seasoning and color, but plain spiral pasta will still work if that’s what you have. Just expect a slightly milder soup.
💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Farmhouse Soup Mix
Ingredient |
Walmart Item |
Pkg Price |
Amount Used |
Cost Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dried minced onion |
$1.08 |
2 T. |
$0.19 |
|
Dried parsley flakes |
$1.24 |
2 T. |
$0.26 |
|
Salt |
$0.62 |
2 t. |
$0.01 |
|
Lemon pepper |
$2.48 |
1/2 t. |
$0.03 |
|
Beef bouillon flakes |
$3.48 |
2 T. |
$0.29 |
|
Quick-cook barley |
$2.48 |
1/2 C. |
$0.36 |
|
Dried split peas |
$1.98 |
1/2 C. |
$0.43 |
|
Uncooked rice |
$3.42 |
1/2 C. |
$0.14 |
|
Dry lentils |
$1.98 |
1/2 C. |
$0.42 |
|
Uncooked alphabet pasta |
$0.92 |
1/2 C. |
$0.11 |
|
Flavored spiral macaroni |
$0.92 |
1 C. |
$0.21 |
💸 |
Cost |
|---|---|
🧾 Total Batch Cost |
$2.45 |
👨👩👧👦 Cost Per Serving |
$0.20 |
📅 Walmart prices last verified August 26, 2026. Prices may vary by location and are subject to change. Learn how to calculate the cost of a recipe on your own!
Frequently Asked Questions about Farmhouse Soup Mix
You can. The soup will still cook up just fine, but it may taste a little less seasoned because flavored spiral pasta usually carries a bit of extra color and flavor. If you swap it out, taste the broth near the end and add a pinch more salt or bouillon if it needs help.
Quick-cook barley is the better choice here because the soup simmers about 1 hour, and that timing matches the rest of the mix better. Regular pearl barley can take longer, so if that’s what you use, plan on extra simmering time and keep an eye on the liquid level.
Absolutely. Swap the beef bouillon for vegetable bouillon and keep the rest of the mix the same. You’ll still get a hearty soup from the split peas, lentils, rice, barley, and pasta, just with a different savory base.
Instant rice cooks too fast for a long-simmered soup and tends to turn soft or mushy before the lentils, barley, and vegetables are done. Regular uncooked rice holds its shape better during that hour on the stove.
Keep the heat at a gentle simmer, not a hard boil. A covered medium-low simmer cooks the legumes and vegetables without beating the pasta into submission, which is exactly as glamorous as it sounds. If you know the soup will sit a long time before serving, you can also check it a little early and turn off the heat once everything is tender.
You can, but the texture works best if you watch the pasta. For most slow cookers, cook on low until the lentils, rice, and barley are tender, then check that the pasta hasn’t over-softened. If your slow cooker runs hot, start with a little extra water and test for doneness before the full cooking time is up.
Celery, carrots, cabbage, and diced tomatoes are the built-in combination, and they make a sturdy, old-school vegetable soup base. If you want to stretch it further, onions, green beans, or a handful of corn fit in without fighting the flavor.
Plan on about 3 quarts of finished soup, or roughly 12 one-cup servings. If you serve big dinner bowls instead, expect closer to 6 generous portions, especially with bread or sandwiches on the side.
Yes, and it freezes best in meal-size portions. Leave a little headspace in the container, since soups expand as they freeze, and expect the pasta and rice to soften slightly after thawing. It’s still a very solid freezer meal, just not one for texture snobs.
Keep it simple with biscuits, toast, cornbread, or sandwiches. Since the soup already has grains, pasta, and legumes, a plain side works better than anything heavy. If you want another mix-style idea for gifting or meal prep, take a look at Four Corners Soup Mix.
Did you make this Farmhouse Soup Mix? Tag us on Instagram so we can see your pantry masterpiece.
📌 Love this Farmhouse Soup Mix? Pin it!
🖨️ Print-Friendly Farmhouse Soup Mix
Farmhouse Soup Mix
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon lemon pepper
- 2 tablespoons beef bouillon flakes
- ½ cup quick-cook barley
- ½ cup dried split peas
- ½ cup uncooked rice not instant
- ½ cup dry lentils
- ½ cup uncooked alphabet pasta
- 1 cup flavored spiral macaroni uncooked
Equipment
Instructions
- Layer the dried minced onion, parsley flakes, salt, lemon pepper, beef bouillon, barley, split peas, rice, lentils, alphabet pasta, and flavored spiral macaroni in a large jar, cone bag, or vacuum bag.
- Seal the container tightly.
- Attach these directions to the mix: Add 1 package mix, 3 quarts water, 2 chopped celery stalks, 2 sliced carrots, 1 cup shredded cabbage, and 2 cups diced tomatoes to a stockpot.
- Cover and simmer over medium-low heat about 1 hour, or until the vegetables are tender.
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 cost reflects the dry mix only and does not include the fresh vegetables and water added when preparing the soup.
Dry mix shelf life is an estimate of 6 months for best quality in an airtight container stored in a cool, dry place.
Cooked soup can be refrigerated up to 4 days or frozen up to 3 months.
does the pasta become too mushy cooking that long? would you recommend adding the pasta when there is only about 10 minutes left to cook or cook separately?
does the pasta become too mushy cooking that long? would you recommend adding the pasta when there is only about 10 minutes left to cook or cook separately?
Sounds like a good idea to try adding it later. I hate mushy pasta too.