Recipe Swap Sunday: Soup in a Jar

I got the original form of this recipe at a MOPS meeting a few years ago. This was our craft for the day. We filled the jars layer by layer then topped them with decorative fabric. As always, I adjusted the recipe just a touch to our liking, and it has been a fall family favorite ever since. Bonus: it makes a great gift!

Soup in a Jar

• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 12 c water
• 1/3 c beef bouillon granules
• 1/4 c dehydrated onion flakes
• 1/2 c split peas
• 1/2 c small pasta
• 1/4 c barley
• 1/2 c lentils
• 1/3 c non-instant rice
• 1 c tricolor pasta

To make a gift jar (or to stock your pantry):
Omit sausage and water. Layer remaining ingredients in jar in the order listed. Label with the instructions below.

Instructions:
In a large kettle, brown one pound of Italian sausage in a little olive oil. Add water and all ingredients except the tricolor pasta. Heat to boiling and simmer for 45 minutes. Add tricolor pasta and simmer 15 minutes more. ENJOY!

Additional notes:
You may want to play with the sodium levels of this just a bit, depending on the type of bouillon you use. Most brands of “low-sodium” bouillon create a less-then-savory soup, but regular bouillon could cause an instant heart attack for some. I find a suitable balance by using a mixture of the two and substituting a little fresh chicken broth for part of the water.