How to Make Your Own Instant Soup Mixes

Whether you’re looking to store an abundance of fresh vegetables from your garden or local market, or simply want to prepare a quick meal for later, homemade instant soup mixes are a delightful project for a lazy Saturday afternoon. They’re easy to make, and the results are undeniably delicious. Who doesn’t love curling up with a hot mug of soup?

Instant soup is a fantastic convenience to have on hand. A warm cup makes for a perfect quick snack during mid-morning munchies or a satisfying pick-me-up in the afternoon. It can elevate an otherwise ordinary sandwich lunch and provides a comforting drink on chilly days, packed with nutrition. Plus, when we make soup at home, we can include all our favorite veggies, choose organic options, and save money in the process.

With just a few ingredients and minimal gadgets, anyone can dive into the world of homemade soup mixes.

The Tools of the Trade

Creating instant soup mixes doesn’t require much in terms of tools, most of which you probably already have in your kitchen. Essentials include a cutting board, a knife, and some storage containers (old glass jars work wonderfully). The primary tool you’ll need is a dehydrator—a worthwhile investment that can be quite affordable for a fun DIY project. Additionally, a powerful blender or grinder will allow you to convert dehydrated ingredients into powders, expanding your soup variety options. Essentially, we’ll be dehydrating vegetables and combining them as we would when cooking a fresh soup.

If you prefer, you can also buy pre-dehydrated vegetables; just remember to keep all spices and herbs in the right proportions.

Making the Stock

Good cooks know that nearly all great soups start with a solid base stock. While many of us are used to buying these in little seasoning cubes, cans, or boxes, making stock at home is incredibly simple. A basic stock includes carrots, onions, and celery, and can be enhanced with garlic, herbs, other vegetables (using scraps and skins), and spices. Cut everything into thin strips or rounds, dehydrate, and then grind into a powder. This not only thickens your instant soup but also adds a flavorful broth. It’s a smart idea to include a spoonful of this stock in any mix you create.

Choosing the Flavors

The options for delicious soups are endless. Vegetable soups can feature a range of flavors, including squash, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, onions, and potatoes. You can add filling grains like pasta, couscous, or parboiled rice. For added protein, consider including textured vegetable protein or beans in your dry soup mixes to ensure you’re getting a good balance of nutrients. To create a creamier texture, add plant-based milk powder or nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor. With so many choices, it’s best to start with some familiar flavors.

Preparing the Mix

There are two effective methods for preparing your soup mixes, each with its advantages. For broth-based soups like country vegetable noodles, French onion, or tomato, dehydrate all the ingredients and combine them appropriately alongside your dried stock mix. You can grind everything into a powder for smooth soups or leave some bits for a chunkier texture. For thicker soups, such as beans or lentils, consider cooking a thick version first, blending it until smooth, dehydrating the mixture, and then grinding it into powder.

Storing and Using the Soup

For large batches, store your soup mix in a glass jar with a lid, which can be kept in the freezer for an extended shelf life. To transport your soup to work or elsewhere, simply scoop the desired amount into reusable bags or small containers. To prepare the soup, add boiling water and let it steep for a few minutes.

Each soup will require a slightly different mix ratio to water based on your desired thickness, but a general guideline is around one part mix to two or three parts water. Everyone has unique tastes, so feel free to adjust!

Happy Soup-Making!

Here are some easy recipes to get you started:

1. Chunky Vegetable Soup: Combine a few tablespoons of powdered stock with dehydrated carrots, peppers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, and peas, plus some short, dry pasta.
2. French Onion (with “Cheese”): Mix powdered stock, onion powder, black pepper, a thickening agent (like guar gum or cornstarch), dehydrated onions, and nutritional yeast. Add croutons for an extra touch.
3. Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato: Use two tablespoons each of powdered stock, chopped dehydrated roasted red peppers, and powdered dehydrated tomatoes.
4. Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili: Combine powdered stock, pureed dried black beans, dehydrated sweet potatoes, and a mix of dehydrated onions, peppers, carrots, and tomatoes, with chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin for flavor.
5. Creamy Potato and Leek: Blend powdered stock, dehydrated leeks, dried potato flakes, and plant-based milk powder.

With these simple steps and recipes, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying the warming comfort of homemade instant soups. Happy cooking!

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental well-being, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, and prostate cancer, and has many side effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 20,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals, and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
• Plant-Based Health Resources
• Plant-Based Food & Recipes
• Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
• High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
• Plant-Based Meal Prep

For more Animal, Earth, Life, Vegan Food, Health, and Recipe content published daily, subscribe to the One Green Planet Newsletter! Lastly, being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!