LOVE SOUP that is!

Sometimes a delicious, healthy, home cooked meal makes all the difference. Love Soup is high in fiber, inexpensive and something you could make a month in advance or even give as a gift. How many recipes can tout that? Enjoy!

Jar ingredients: bottom up layers in a quart sized jar (pasta sauce jars work well)

• 10 beef bullion cubes (or 10 vegetarian soup base cubes for vegetarians)
• 1/4 cup dried minced onion
• 1/2 cup dried split peas (green or yellow or combo)
• 1/2 cup Creamettes
• 1/4 cup barley
• 1/2 cup dry lentils
• 1/3 cup long grain white rice
• 1 cup uncooked tricolor rotini or spiral pasta to fill jar

Soup cooking instructions to include with jar:

LOVE SOUP

In a large kettle, brown 1 or 2 lbs of lean ground beef or meat alternative. Remove tricolor pasta from top of jar and reserve. Add the rest of the jar contents to the kettle with 12 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Then, simmer 45 minutes. Add tricolor pasta and simmer 15 minutes more. Serve with your favorite bread and salad. Serves six to eight.  Enjoy!

Note: You may also use Italian sausage, meat substitute or stew meat, instead of ground round.  Feel free to add any leftover cooked vegetables or chopped tomatoes (add any raw vegetables at beginning.)

If too thick, add a can of broth or water.

I had my daughter help with her teachers’ gifts last year. She loved it! Make a funnel out of foil or parchment paper to help with their aim. We tied ribbons on the jars and included a little card with instructions (email if you would like a copy.)

To help with future dinners, I actually make several at a time in resealable bags. Then, when it’s time to cook, I just brown some ground round, add water, bag ingredients and simmer. Everything cooks in one pot. Dinner is ready in an hour with little actual work in the kitchen.