This is the perfect food gift for any foodie. Peas, lentils, stock granules, seasonings, rice and pasta are layered in a jar, with a tag attached for instructions of how to make the soup.
I just made three jars for gifts and they look great! As for the jar problem, Classico pasta sauce comes in 26 oz heavy mason jars.(Just soak off the label). They are almost square which shows off the mix beautifully, plus a regular mason lid, metal or plastic, fits perfectly. I use these jars for canning since they're so pretty and right between pint and quart size. I also put the pasta in small plastic bags and knotted them to prevent spilling when removing from the jar. - 19 Dec 2003 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)
We're giving soup and brownie mixes for gifts this year and LOVE this soup! It has excellent flavor and texture (my husband is a chef, so we are particular about our dining). We only made a few modifications to the recipe--reduced rice to 1/4 cup (we used Jasmine rice), reduced tomatoes to 1 14.5 oz. can (28 oz. was just too much-- it overpowered the rest of the ingredients), and used 1 tbsp fresh minced garlic instead of garlic powder. Perfect! I know it will be a big hit with our friends and family this year! - 24 Nov 2002 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)
WOW! I made 36 of these for Christmas gifts(Buy stock in Walmart as that's where I got all my ingredients and the jars . I took others suggestions and used 2 8 oz. cans of tomato sauce and 1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes. I gave the soup mix along with a wooden spoon, the can of tomatoes and 2 cans of tomato sauce in a gift bag with a box of corn muffin mix. (The only thing the recipient had to provide was the ground beef, garlic powder, pepper and water). Needless to say, it was a HUGE hit and everyone that has tried this LOVES it. This recipe makes a ton, but those that had company over the holidays appreciated this no fuss meal that served a gang THANKS SO MUCH! Again, my dogs got a sampling in their dog food which they gave 5 stars to also. GREAT RECIPE - 05 Jan 2005 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)