Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
If you're looking for ways to stretch your food budget a bit further (and who isn't?), homemade instant soup mixes are an easy and nutritious option. Plus, they make an excellent addition to your emergency food pantry, and they're perfect for hiking or camping trips.
This article explains how to make and store instant soup mixes and includes recipes and links to resources for more ideas.
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What Are Homemade Instant Soup Mixes?
You can find commercially-made instant soup mixes in the local supermarket. Products like Lipton Cup-A-Soup, Knorr Instant Soup, and Nissin Cup Noodles have been popular for decades because of their low prices and easy preparation. All you need to do is add boiling water to the dehydrated components and stir.Â
However, these and other brands like them typically are very high in sodium and often contain preservatives and other additives. A healthier option is to make your own, using your own ingredients and containers. You can custom-blend your mixes to accommodate your family's preferences and use the herbs and vegetables you grow in your garden as ingredients.
How to Make Homemade Instant Soup Mixes
Homemade instant soup mixes can range from having just a few dehydrated ingredients to having a dozen or more, depending on your tastes, the ingredients you have on hand, and whether you're storing them long-term or taking them on a hike.
Some of the typical ingredients include:
- Pre-cooked dehydrated noodles and grains
- Dehydrated (instant) potatoes
- Dehydrated or freeze-dried vegetables
- Freeze-dried meat
- Vegetable powder
- Milk powder
- Bouillon powder
- Miso paste or powder
- Dried herbs and spices
As a general rule, two-thirds cup of dried ingredients — any mix of dried vegetables, beans, meat, or starches— along with your choice of seasonings will make one serving of soup when reconstituted with two cups of water.
Here are instructions for dehydrating vegetables. And here are instructions for dehydrating meats. Store-bought bouillon powder usually contains heaps of sodium. So, homemade bouillon powder can be a healthier option to use in your dry soup mixes.
If you'd like, you can layer the ingredients in a canning jar to make an attractive presentation. Adorned with a recipe and instruction card and maybe a ribbon, these jars make great gifts. However, layering is not required.
How to Store Homemade Instant Soup Mixes
How you choose to store your dry soup mixes depends on how you will use them. For easy portability, you can place the mixes in zippered plastic bags. For pantry storage, Mylar bags or glass Mason jars work well.
Labeling the containers with the ingredients and the date you packaged them is a good idea. Dried food can last for two years or longer when stored in an airtight container in a dry, dark location. A food-grade oxygen absorber can extend the shelf life.
Bouillon powder is the dried soup ingredient that is most at risk for spoilage. Some experts recommend storing instant soup mixes without the bouillon powder and then adding it when you are ready to prepare the soup.
Homemade Instant Soup Recipes
You can find many recipes for homemade instant soup mixes online, including ones that accommodate your family's dietary concerns. After you get the hang of it, however, you may enjoy creating your own unique mixes.Â
You also can embellish your stored mixes with any fresh ingredients you may have on hand at the time of preparation.
Here are some recipes to get you started.
Cheesy Cauliflower Chowder
Source: Trail.Recipes
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoon dehydrated cauliflower, powdered
- 1 tablespoon instant mashed potatoes
- 2 tablespoons Cheddar cheese powder (powdered)
- 1 teaspoon heavy cream powder
- 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon cube
Directions:
- Pour instant soup mixture into a mug.
- Add 1 cup of boiling water.
- Stir, cover and let sit for 5 minutes.
Cream of Soup Dry Mix
Source: Never Free Farm
Ingredients:
- 1 cup instant milk
- ½ cup sour cream powderÂ
- 1 cup cornstarchÂ
- 3 tablespoons bouillon powder
- 1½ teaspoon Italian seasoningÂ
- ¼ cup dried diced onion
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
- Place ingredients in a small mixing bowl and gently mix.
- Using a funnel, transfer ingredients to a quart mason jar.
- Close the jar with a lid and ring, and then shake until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.Â
- To make a batch of soup (equal to a can of condensed soup with milk added), add a half-cup of your dry mix to a small saucepan.
- Whisk in two cups of water until the consistency is smooth.
- Using a medium-heat burner, whisk constantly until bubbling and thickened.
The recipe yields just under a quart of dry mix for four to five batches of soup.
Creamy Potato/Bacon Soup with Chives
Source: Urban Survival Site
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon powdered chicken bouillon
- 1/3 cup instant potato flakes
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 2 tablespoons bacon bits
- 1 tablespoon dried chives
- ¼ cup powdered milk
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 12 ounces Boiling Water
Directions:
- Add 12 ounces of boiling water to the mixture.
- Let it sit for 5 minutes.
Dry Onion Soup Mix
Source: All Recipes
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup dried onion flakes
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium beef bouillon granules
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon parsley flakes
- â…› teaspoon celery seed
- â…› teaspoon paprika
- â…› teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions:
- Bring 3 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
- Whisk in soup mix, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Five Bean Soup Mix
Source: Wholefully
Ingredients:
Layer the following ingredients in the order listed in a canning jar.
- 1/3 cup pinto beans
- 1/3 cup green peas
- 1/3 cup black beans
- 1/3 cup Great Northern beans
- 1/3 cup kidney beans
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon dried chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1Â bay leaf
- 1 small dried chili pepper (optional)
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 1Â vegetable bouillon cube (in wrapper)
Directions:
- Remove the bouillon wrapper and add it to the other ingredients in a saucepan.
- Stir in five cups of water and one 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes.Â
- Bring the soup to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer until the beans are tender and the soup is thick (about 90 minutes).
- Add more water as needed to soften the beans.
- Remove and discard the pepper and bay leaf before serving.
- Season to taste.
Instant Beef and Vegetable Soup Mix
Source: The Purposeful Pantry
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup dehydrated rice
- 1/3 cup Freeze-dried beef
- 1/2 cup dehydrated vegetables
- 1 tbsp dehydrated onions
- 1.5 teaspoon bouillon use beef, chicken or vegetable
- 1.5 teaspoon Italian seasonings
- 1/2 teaspoon dehydrated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
Directions:
- Add soup mix to 2 cups of water. Bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for 15 minutes until vegetables are rehydrated.
Instant Minestrone Vegetable Soup
Source: The Yummy Life
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 tablespoons chicken bouillon powderÂ
- 2 teaspoons tomato powder
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/3 cup dehydrated vegetables
- 1/3 cup non-spiky pastaÂ
Directions:
- Place the ingredients in a zippered plastic bag or jar. (If you want to cook the soup in the bag, use a quart-size freezer bag.)
- To prepare in a bag: With the open bag resting in a bowl, pour in 1-3/4 cups boiling water and stir. Close the bag and allow the ingredients to soak for about 10 minutes. Open the bag and eat directly from the bag, or pour the soup into a bowl.
- To prepare in a bowl: Place the dry ingredients in a bowl (or mug) that holds at least two cups. Pour 1-3/4 cups boiling water into the bowl and stir. Cover the bowl and allow the soup to rest for about 10 minutes.Â
Makes two cups of prepared soup.
Other Resources To Help You Get Started
Here are some videos that demonstrate the process of making your own instant soup mix.
And here are links to some of the supplies you might need:
- Mylar Bags with oxygen absorbers
- Canning jars with lids
- Freeze-dried herb blends
- Food container labels
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