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Recipe Video Print
Lentil soup in a jar with rice and deep, curry seasonings makes a great gift! It even comes with a free, printable recipe card.
I love giving (and receiving!) food gifts. You can't go wrong with tasty edibles, or mixes, and this layered lentil soup mix that I give out from time to time is always a big hit! Recipients often ask me for the recipe, so that they can make it again.
If you need more DIY food gift ideas, homemade ginger syrup is another popular one!
Jump to:
- Recipe notes
- To make the lentil soup
- Storage directions
- 📖 Recipe
- Frequently asked questions
Recipe notes
This recipe makes one jar of lentil soup mix, but if you're planning to make a lot of these, I recommend doing it assembly line style. Line up all of your ingredients and measuring cups around the table, so you can go from ingredient to ingredient.
Start by adding green lentils and all of your spices to the jar. You can use either powdered or cubed vegetable bouillon in this mix. If you do use cubes, just crumble them, so they'll blend in visually with the other dried spices.
Then, layer on jasmine or basmati rice, and top it off with red lentils.
The amount of red lentils you'll need is going to vary a bit. The key is to make sure that you pack the lentils into the jar tightly. The tighter you pack the jar, the better those pretty layers will hold up!
I'm also including a page of printable recipe cards that you can attach to your jars that tells your giftee how to make the mix. Be sure to print that out. Then, cut out the cards, punch a hole in the corner of a card, and tie it to the jar top with ribbon or twine.
To make the lentil soup
If you want to make this soup for yourself, put all of the jar mix ingredients into a bowl, so they're ready to add when it's time.
Saute onion in a little bit of oil until the onion starts to turn golden. Then, add water and the jar mix.
Simmer the mix with he pan covered until the lentils soften, then stir in a can of coconut milk. Season to taste with salt and lemon juice, and you're ready to dive into a cozy bowl of lentil soup!
Storage directions
The jar mix will keep for up to six months in the pantry.
Store prepared lentil soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to five days.
📖 Recipe
Lentil Soup Mix in a Jar
by Becky Striepe
Lentil soup in a jar with rice and deep, curry seasonings makes a great gift! It even comes with a free, printable recipe card.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Servings: 8
Equipment
twine - optional
Ingredients
For the jar mix
- ½ cup green lentils
- 2 teaspoons powdered vegetable bouillon or 2 vegetable bouillon cubes, crumbled
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper use ¼ teaspoon or omit for mild
- 1 cup jasmine or basmati rice
- ¼ cup red lentils approximate - top the jar off with the red lentils, packing them down well
For the soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion sliced thin
- 8 cups water
- 15 ounce can coconut milk
- salt and lemon juice to taste
Instructions
Make the jar mix
Add the green lentils to a pint jar, then add the spices and smooth them out. Pour in the rice, and then top the jar off with red lentils. Make sure that you pack the jar tightly, so the pretty layers stay intact!
Print out the lentil soup recipe card page onto cardstock, cut it up, punch holes, and tie one recipe to each jar with twine.
Make the soup
Heat the olive oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook for 8-12 minutes, until the onions start to turn golden.
Add the water and soup mix to the pot, and bring to a simmer. Turn down to low, and cook, covered, until the lentils and rice are cooked and very soft (about 45 minutes).
Add the coconut milk, and heat it through. Add salt to taste, and serve. Enjoy!
Video
📝 Notes
Nutritional information is for the prepared soup.
The lentil soup mix in its jar will keep for up to 6 months in the pantry.
The prepared soup will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave. Lentil soup tends to thicken when it gets cold, so thin it out with a splash of water, if needed, when you reheat it.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Lentil Soup Mix in a Jar
Amount per Serving
Calories
290
% Daily Value*
Fat
16
g
25
%
Saturated Fat
11
g
55
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Sodium
188
mg
8
%
Potassium
341
mg
10
%
Carbohydrates
32
g
11
%
Fiber
5
g
20
%
Sugar
1
g
1
%
Protein
7
g
14
%
Vitamin A
28
IU
1
%
Vitamin C
2
mg
2
%
Calcium
35
mg
4
%
22
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keywords lentil soup in a jar
Tried this recipe?Tag @glueandglitter on Instagram and Threads!
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to soak the lentils before cooking?
You don't! One of the reasons that lentils work well for soup mixes like this is that they cook up relatively quickly without needing to soak.
Is lentil soup really good for you?
Yeah, it is! Lentils are packed with protein and fiber, and this soup is packed with lentils.
What mixes well with lentils?
Rice and lentils are a great combination, especially with cozy, warming seasonings like ginger and curry powder.
About Becky Striepe
Hi there! I'm Becky Striepe (rhymes with sleepy), and I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here.
Learn more about me >>>
Reader Interactions
Comments
Christine
My broth cubes are Edward &Sons garden veggie cubes. It says the serving is 1/2 cube (5.25g) to 1 cup water, do I still need 2 cubes? Which by their guideline would be enough for 4 cups water?
Thank you so much for the printable recipe cards! I’m making this today for my neighbors.Reply
Becky Striepe
Yes, I use the same cubes. The extra cube gives is so much flavor! :)
Reply
Irene Kim
Can I substitute half of the rice with quinoa for the other half? Rice and and quinoa have the same water ratio so I am thinking yes… so excited to make this as Xmas gifts this year, and go try the recipe myself!Reply
Becky Striepe
Yes, that should work fine! What a fun idea!
Reply
Melissa
Hi how many does one jar serve please?
Reply
Becky Striepe
I'd say 2-3 servings.
Reply
Michelle
If I were to just use curry powder how much powder would I use?
Reply
Becky Striepe
I'd use 2-3 teaspoons per jar.
Reply
Sheila
You can ignore my curry question — thought it was it's own spice. You learn something new every day! I had no clue it was a combination of spices. Was never a big fan, but now I have to try because my son LOVES it!
Reply
Becky Striepe
I hope he loves it as much as my family does, Sheila!
Reply
Sheila
There is no curry in this recipe. I thought it was "Curried Lentil Soup"?
Reply
kathy stahl
what size can coconut milk?
Reply
Becky Striepe
15 ounce!
Reply
Elizabeth
Thank you for recipe. How many servings does the soup recipe make?
Reply
Becky Striepe
Ooh good question. It makes 4 servings. Enjoy it!
Reply
Susan
Cannot locate the lentil soup recipie card. Anyone know instructions
Reply
Becky Striepe
Hey Susan! Is this link not working? I made some back-end changes, so if you can't download from here, I need to figure out how to fix that for sure! Thank you for the comment, so we can troubleshoot this! https://www.glueandglitter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Lentil-Soup-Mix-Recipe-Card.pdf
Reply
Cadry's Kitchen
I love this idea! Lentil soup is so delicious and easy. Plus, it's nice to see an idea that's savory instead of sweet for holiday gift-giving!
Reply
Becky Striepe
Thank you!
Reply
Abby Cohen
You must be reading my mind! I have been wanting to give healthy edible gifts, and have been looking at the soup-in-a-jar recipes on line but not seeing anything I really liked.
Reply
Becky Striepe
I'm so glad I could help, Abby!
Reply
heidikerr
My friends are health nuts and also really into homemade gifts. I think this will be perfect. Also, I have all of the ingredients in my pantry. Score!
Reply
Becky Striepe
Awesome! Happy gifting! :)
Reply
Jes
I really wish I'd had the time to whip up edible gifts this year--definitely bookmarking for next!
Reply
Becky Striepe
I hear ya! I made way fewer gifts this year than last. 2012 has been a busy one!!
Reply
AdamK
I'm a huge fan of lentil soup..but I dont recognize this variant. I am skeptical but willing!
Reply
Becky Striepe
Let me know how you like it! I love Indian spices in anything, especially lentils!
Reply
Andrea
I like this clever idea. The jars would make a great hostess gift as well as a holiday gift.
Reply
Becky Striepe
Thanks, Andrea! I love the idea of giving them as hostess gifts!
Reply
