Friendship Soup Mix in a Jar
Friendship Soup in a Jar is a dry soup starter full of lentils, split peas, pearled barley, rice, pasta and seasonings. It’s a nice gift to give to friends and family who can use the mix to make a hearty, homemade pot of soup in a little more than an hour.
I like to make jars of friendship soup mix to keep on-hand in my pantry, as well.
With the addition of beef and canned tomatoes, Friendship Soup is a filling one-dish meal. And who doesn’t love an easy weeknight meal?
Making jars of friendship soup mix, also known as Amish Friendship Soup, is perhaps one of the easiest gifts in a mason jar recipes I know.
All you have to do is measure and layer the dry ingredients in a glass mason jar. It’s that easy!
Why You’ll Love Friendship Soup
- Friendship Soup in a Jar is ideal for gift-giving. It makes a nice holiday gift for friends, family, neighbors and hostesses. It’s also a thoughtful gift for friends, whether they have a newborn, are sick, in need, or just because.
- This soup in a jar mix is also perfect for meal-prepping. All the measuring is done ahead of time making it easy to prepare a last-minute pot of homemade soup. There should be enough ingredients to make 3-4 jars.
- This soup is full of healthy ingredients like lentils and split peas (you can even opt for organic). It’s not weighed down with sugars and additives. Basically, what you see, is what you get.
Friendship Soup in a Jar Recipe
To make Friendship Soup mix in a jar, layer the dry soup ingredients in a quart size mason jar (32 ounces).
Ingredients
- Green split peas (dry)
- Medium pearl barley (dry)
- Lentils (dry)
- Dried minced onion
- Uncooked long grain brown rice or white
- Beef bouillon granules
- Italian seasoning
- Bay leaves
- Small pasta (alphabet, ditalini)
To prepare the soup, the recipient of the jar adds lean ground beef, a can of diced tomatoes, can of tomato sauce and water. For a soup that’s a little thicker, the sauce can be replaced with tomato paste.
Unlike dry beans, split peas and lentils do not require soaking, so it’s really a quick and easy soup to make!
Instructions
- Add split peas to bottom of a one-quart mason jar. Give the jar a little shake to level the peas before adding next ingredient. Make sure to do this after adding each ingredient to the jar.
- Layer the seasonings in the jar. Add beef bouillon, followed by Italian seasoning and minced onion.
- Add lentils, rice, pearl barley and bay leaves. The order these go in jar is optional, but I like to put the bay leaves on top.
- Add pasta to a small, clear bag and close it with a twist tie. Place the bag in the jar.
- Put lid on the jar and attach cooking instructions. The Friendship Soup gift tag below includes additional ingredients needed and cooking instructions.
The only “rule” to follow for this recipe is to add the pasta as the final, top layer in the jar. I like to put the pasta in a clear bag so it’s easy to take out and add to the soup during the last few minutes of cooking.
Detailed recipe and instructions are in recipe card at bottom of post.
Friendship Soup Mix Layers
Layer 1: Split Peas (bottom of jar)
Layer 2: Beef Bouillon Granules
Layer 3: Italian Seasoning
Layer 4: Minced Onion
Layer 5: Lentils
Layer 6: Rice
Layer 7: Pearl Barley
Layer 8: Bay Leaves
Layer 9: Pasta (top of jar)
My Mason Jar Pick
I like to use wide mouth jars for layering mix recipes. This way I can easily reach in and pack down layers if necessary.
Supplies to Make Soup Mix Gift Jars
One quart mason jar: This soup mix fits comfortably in a 1 quart jar (32 ounces). They’re easy to find in the stores, too.
Canning Funnel (optional): To keep messes to a minimum, I like to use a funnel. This canning funnel is my favorite.
While a funnel isn’t necessary for this dry soup mix, I highly recommend using one for powdery recipes like chocolate chip cookies in a jar and hot cocoa mix in a jar.
Small plastic bag & twist tie: To prepare the soup, the recipient needs to remove the pasta. You can just add the pasta to the top of the jar, but for gifts I like to take the extra step and put it in a baggie or plastic wrap so it’s easily removed.
Gift Tag & Ribbons: I’ve included a free printable gift tag with soup preparation instructions below. You can print it at home or a print shop (like Office Depot) on card stock.
For the final touch, tie the tag on the jar with some decorative ribbon. If you’re using a mason jar with a lid and ring, you can cover the lid with decorative paper or fabric, as well.
Friendship Soup Printable Gift Tag
Pick from five designs: two for any gift-giving occasion, and three for Christmas.
Download Free Printable Gift Tags
If you want to make your own gift tag, here are the cooking instructions to attach:
You will need: 1 pound lean ground beef, cooked and drained; 3 quarts water; 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained; 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce; 2 cloves garlic, minced; and salt & pepper to taste. Directions: In a dutch oven or large stock pot, brown beef and drain. Remove pasta from jar and set aside. To the beef, add remaining contents of jar, water, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves and add pasta. Cook an additional 10-15 minutes. Add salt & black pepper to taste.
More Delicious Gifts in Jars
- Cowboy Cookies in a Jar: Easy Cookie Mix Gift
- Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix in a Jar (Gift Tags Included)
- Easy Hot Cocoa in a Jar Gift Idea
Want to save this recipe to make later?
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Friendship Soup in a Jar
EASY Friendship Soup in a jar recipe! This mason jar soup mix only has 9 dry ingredients, takes minutes to assemble each jar, and makes a nice gift for friends (gift tags included). To make a delicious pot of Friendship Soup, the gift recipient simply combines the mix with beef and just a few more ingredients.
Ingredients
For the Friendship Soup Mix
- 3/4 cup dry green split peas
- 1/3 cup beef bouillon granules
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup minced onion, dried
- 3/4 cup dry lentils
- 1/2 cup rice, uncooked (white, brown or long grain)
- 1/3 cup dry pearl barley
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup ditalini pasta, uncooked (or other small pasta)
The Recipient of the Friendship Soup Adds
- 1 pound lean ground beef, cooked and drained
- 3 quarts water
- 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
How to Make a Jar of Friendship Soup Mix
- Add split peas to the bottom of a 1 quart mason jar. Give the jar a little shake to level the peas before adding next ingredient. Make sure to do this leveling process after adding each ingredient to the jar.
- Add the seasonings: beef bouillon, followed by Italian seasoning and minced onion.
- For the next layer in the jar, pour in the lentils, followed by rice, and then pearl barley.
- Place bay leaves on top of pearl barley.
- Add pasta to a small, clear bag and close it with a twist tie. The bag is optional, but recommended. Add the bag of pasta to the top of the jar.
- Put the lid on the jar and attach the Friendship Soup gift tag with cooking instructions.
How to Cook Friendship Soup Using the Mix
- In a dutch oven or large stock pot, brown beef and drain.
- Remove pasta from jar and set aside..
- To the beef, add water, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic and all soup mix ingredients except the pasta. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove bay leaves and add pasta. Cook an additional 10-15 minutes.
- Add salt & black pepper to taste.
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