Reviewed: Nov. 13, 2012

I received a jar of this as a gift. When I made it, I substituted Chicken Broth for the 12 cups of water. This seemed to be a no-brainer for me. I didn't have the problem that many did with the pasta not being cooked. Mine all cooked nicely. The rice sort of fell apart though, so if I were going to make this for gifts, I would likely skip the rice and put extra peas, lentils, and/or barley. I also thought about adding a can of petite diced tomatoes, but didn't this time. I might try that when I'm eating leftovers though.

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Reviewer:

ellforest

Reviewed: Apr. 16, 2012

I really loved this soup! I found that this soup is very tasty with just the right balance of spices and beans. This was a gift to me. Typically, I am not one to enjoy beans too much so I didn't think I'd like this soup. Boy was I surprised! I served this at a ladies tea I had in March, 2012...it was a huge hit! Try it, you'll like it! :)

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Reviewer:

Lisa G

Cooking Level: Expert

Reviewed: Mar. 15, 2012

Great and appetizing soup. Thanks for sharing and I'll be endorsing it to one of my friends through heartbeat.gourmetrecipe.com

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Reviewer:

sarah11

Reviewed: Dec. 30, 2011

This is a great recipe!! I bought the mix from a Girl Scout troop. Made it tonight for dinner along with grilled cheese sandwiches. Everyone that ate it thought it was a keeper. Will definitely make it again. Would make an ideal gift.

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Reviewer:

Cindy W

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: East Setauket, New York, USA

Living In: Herndon, Virginia, USA

Reviewed: Dec. 14, 2011

This is a very hearty tasty soup. Makes a great gift people can eat or use as a decoration!

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Reviewer:

Char

Home Town: Navarre, Florida, USA

Reviewed: Dec. 6, 2011

This is a great looking gift. I am glad I decided to make it and try it before actually giving it to others as gifts. I found it to be very salty, and I assume that was from the bouillon, and I found the macaroni was over cooked. So, when I put them together in the jar I reduced the bouillon to 1/4 cup and put both kinds of pasta into a plastic bag on top and then closed the jar. That way it is easier to remove the pasta from the jar to add towards the end of the cooking time. I agree with the other reviewer, more water is needed than the 12 cups it calls for, so I will change that on the instructions to 13 cups (and add more if needed). Thanks for the recipe!

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Reviewer:

GOODELLI

Cooking Level: Expert

Reviewed: Nov. 19, 2011

Love Soup Mix in a Jar Haiku: "Tough to rate this soup. The jar's great for gift-giving. Directions are flawed." OK, so the dry mix in the jar is lovely, although I found that, in the order written, the barley "leaks" too much into the macaroni layer, so instead my order went: bouillon - onion (+ 1 tsp. dried minced garlic) - barley - split peas (+ 2 tsp. Italian seasoning) - macaroni - lentils - rice - spiral pasta. I made a batch of the soup exactly as the recipe instructed (I wanted to ensure that everything turned out tasty b4 giving the jars as gifts) - and at time to serve, the split peas were still pebbles, and the spirals were inedible. In order to have both of those tender, I had to let the soup simmer an additional 30 min. but that resulted in the macaroni being smooshy. So, I believe that I will write the instruction card to say that the initial 45 min. simmer should be partially-covered (* test split peas for tenderness!), and after adding the spiral pasta and removing the lid, it should be simmered for 20-25 min. Oh and the soup itself is not attractive at all, and the leftovers become thick and gummy, BUT it's hearty and pretty darn tasty! (P.S. I added photos of both the jar, and the finished soup.)

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Reviewer:

Rock_lobster

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Living In: Braselton, Georgia, USA

Reviewed: Aug. 14, 2011

Just made this to try before giving as gifts. All in all I thought it was pretty good. Alittle salty so I will elimanate the salt, and adding two more cups of water, and a Sazon seasoning packet. I am also giving it out in pint size jars and calling it Birthday Soup, Christmas soup, etc. Thanks for a great gift idea which is so pretty in the jars.

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Reviewer:

Littlepammie

Cooking Level: Expert

Reviewed: Feb. 3, 2011

This soup mix was very easy to put together and looked great in the jar, but the taste was disappointingly lacking flavor. It ended up being very thick, so it was filling, but I had a hard time finishing it due to its blandness. My husband thought it was okay, but not great. At least my 2 year old daughter ate it! Had it one more meal as leftovers, but only because I hate things to go to waste and I believe that it is at least a very healthy soup. Half of it went to the garbage though.

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Reviewer:

mariposa767

Reviewed: Feb. 2, 2011

This recipe looked really pretty in the jar, but wasn't the best taste. It had way too many starchy ingredients that overpowered the soupiness. It needs more vegetables or something. Don't think I'll be making it again.

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