It's a matter of....making your own soup mix!

As you hopefully know, we are focusing on Soups, Stews, and Chili's this week.  Today, we are going to talk about making your own soup mixes that are essentially made from dehydrated ingredients. 

This is a nationally known store brand of instant soup.  This pricing was from 6/5/10.  In this brand, you get pouches that contain seasoning, noodles, and bits of meat.  The ingredient list is long, but several of the items listed are:  Nonfat milk, Chicken white meat, enriched Egg Noodles, Onion powder, Garlic Powder, Whey, Carrots, and Parsley.  I'll bet, if you have been keeping up with our list, and just by looking in your cupboard, you have most of these things.  You can also see that it costs 24 cents an ounce.  Please know that you can do this on your own, with things you most likely already have on hand.

Let's look into making this ourselves with the basics we have in our Food storage.  First of all, you need a container.  There are many choices.

Here you see a canning jar, a zip-lock bag, a Food saver bag, and a Plastic bottle.  Make a label with the directions on how to prepare your mix.  By now, you should know that the LRH does things inexpensively.  I just printed the instructions on paper, cut them out, and attached them to the container with....are you ready.....packing tape!  This way you always have the "right sized" lable. 

There is also another choice of container.

This is a Mylar bag that has been cut.  You can see there are 3 different sizes that have been cut out of the same bag.  The question comes, how do you seal it? 

With your Food Saver, or you could even use your iron or flat iron.  Please know that these are re-usable.  If you carefully cut the pouch, you can save it to put the very same mix in and seal it. No new labels are required!.

Here is a suggested way to make your mixes in an organize fashion. Here, I put the Mylar bags into cups.  I used my canning funnel.  Place each ingredient into each bag in an assembly-line fashion.  It make quick, clean, and easy work of the process.

Next, look at the following recipes and see how many of these items you already have!  Try one of these, or any other you find, and see how easy and inexpensive this is to do.  You children or grandchildren will have fun helping you make these.  They will be readily available for a meal on days that you are so freakishly busy and you will be grateful you have them on hand. 

Let's look at time and money:

As noted above, the national brand costs 24 cents an ounce. If you have these items on hand, is the cost a huge consideration?  You will be using your staples in an organized fashion..

In regard to time, once you gather your ingredients, this is a quick process and takes under 5 minutes.

Let's address convenience. We all have those days where there is little breathing-room.  How nice would it be to have a choice of one of these mixes to make?  Also, what if you were ill, your children could easily make dinner using a soup mix. 

Here is are some recipes to try:

Instant Noodle Soup Mix (http://www.ellenskitchen.com/pantry/mixes1.html)


2 tablespoons chicken-flavored instant bouillon

1 tablespoon dried mixed vegetable flakes (salad sprinkle is good in this)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

1 tablespoon dried onion flakes

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 package ramen noodles, broken into 1" pieces If you have time to cook it, for the ramen noodles you can substitute:

4 oz. (one cup)broken vermicelli or tiny soup noodles

In small bowl, combine all seasoning ingredients; mix well. Spoon into small plastic bag or container; add pasta. Shake and seal.

Make it in a four-quart saucepan combine seasoning, pasta, and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook over medium heat 5-7 minutes, or until pasta is of desired doneness, stirring frequently. Yield: 5, one-cup servings. May add one cup cooked cubed chicken, turkey or vegetables to the soup.


Tomato Soup Mix  (http://www.budget101.com/)

4 tb Non-fat dry milk

2 tb Powdered dry tomatoes (or tomato powder)

1/8 ts Basil

Salt , Dash

Pepper, Dash

Measure all into jar or ziploc bag, shake to combine.

Directions:

Add mix to 1 Mug of Hot water, stir, let set 2 minutes, enjoy. Serve with saltines


Potato Soup Mix  (http://www.budget101.com/)


1-3/4 cups instant mashed potatoes

1-1/2 cups dry milk

2 Tb. instant chicken bullion

2 tsp. dried minced onion

1 tsp. dried parsley

1/4 tsp. ground white pepper

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/8 tsp. turmeric

1-1/2 tsp. seasoning salt



Measure all ingredients in a canning jar or vacuum seal bag.  To Use: place 1/2 cup mix in soup bowl and add 1 cup boiling water. Stir until smooth.

Variations:

Add 1/4 c. chopped ham & Cheese pieces

Or

1/4 c. chopped broccoli

Or

2 T. Minced Clams for clam chowder

Or

1/4 c corn for corn chowder


Dry Onion Soup Mix   (http://www.ellenskitchen.com/pantry/mixes1.html)


This makes a great rub for roasts or crockpot meats, and of course that traditional California onion dip.

7 oz beef bouillon granules

1/2 teaspoon Pepper

1 1/2 cups dry minced onion

1/4 cup onion powder

1/4 cup parsley flakes

1/8 cup onion salt

2-4 tablespoons Kal or Red Star nutritional yeast

1-2 teaspoons ground celery seed

1-2 tablespoons sugar

Combine in order listed, mix very well but do not use blender. Keep the mixture in an airtight container such as a zippered plastic baggie with the air pressed out. Makes 2 cups (equivalent of 8 envelopes). 1/4 cup mix equals 1 envelope commercial soup mix.

TO USE: Soup-1/4 cup mix to 4 cups boiling water. Stir well until powder is dissolved. Onion dip- 4-5 tablespoon to 1 pint of sour cream or plain yogurt.

Variations These ingredients are optional but tasty:

1-2 tablespoons dried mushroom powder or 1/4 cup chopped dried mushrooms

Chicken: Use chicken bouillon

Vegetable: Use vegetable bouillon

Making your own mixes uses many of your food storage staples.  It gives you a chance to use dehydrated foods you have either purchased or dehydrated on your own.  If you are looking for inexpensive dehydrated vegetables (or mixed vegetables), purchase frozen vegetables and dehydrate them.  The benefit is that they have already been blanched...so it really saves you a step!

There are many more to be found on the Internet. Scope out some today!

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