Jar Mix: Potato Soup {The Update}
Back in the early days of this blog I wrote about a homemade potato soup mix that I was finding quite a handy convenience at the time. It was nice to have in the pantry for a quick lunch and only required boiling some water and adding some of the mix. And then, as can often be the way of things with our human natures, I sort of drifted away from that recipe and just didn’t make it as much anymore.
But working on some other jar mixes recently made me remember this easy potato soup mix and I decided to give it another look and some updating. It’s still a quick convenience, and it can do double duty as a gift idea too. Here are a few of the changes I made:
My Potato Soup Mix Recipe Updates
This time around I decided to cut back on some of the sodium/salt in the mix by reducing some of the chicken bouillon powder (reduced from 2 Tbl down to 3 tsp). I also eliminated the seasoning salt and instead used a smaller amount of celery salt (1-1/2 tsp Lawrys replaced with 1/2 tsp celery salt).
I also made sure to add the turmeric (I used to often leave it out) and also added a tablespoon of dried chives.
Finally, I ran the mixture through my food processor to make a more powdery mixture. Because instant potato flakes are used in the mixture the soup could sometimes take on a bit of a mashed potato feel, and by processing the flakes you can get a smoother final result. If you use this option, you might want to wait to add the parsley or the chives so that you have some flecks of spice in the mix, especially if you are giving it as a gift.
Also if the mixture is processed you can use less of it when you make a bowl of soup (it can be reduced down from using a 1/2 cup in my original recipe to just a 1/4 cup).
Plant-Based/Vegan Options Too
In addition to the changes above, I’ve been giving a plant-based/vegan version a try too as I’ve been working on cutting down on meat and dairy.
For this option I replaced the powdered milk with powdered soymilk. This was a product I could only find online and did not have any luck spotting any non-dairy milk powders in my local stores.
I also replaced the chicken bouillon powder with a couple cubes of low sodium vegetable bouillon. I stirred a couple tablespoons of nutritional yeast into the mix too and then processed everything.
When we make a bowl of this vegan option, we find it still needs some salt but at least we can have the control of how much salt we may wish to add. I’m hoping to do some more testing of this version and perhaps some tweaking of the spices will help in this area too.
Storing Your Potato Soup Mix
When I originally made this mixture I always kept it in a quart sized canning jar. However when you run the mixture through the food processor it decreases the volume of the mixture. So, now it ALMOST fits in a pint size canning jar. I found I had just a little bit more left over (1/4 cup to be exact). So I just ate it up in a bowl of soup right then and there!
This mix should last for several months in your pantry with no problems too.
So whether you’re looking for a pantry mix, or a quick way to have a vegan option soup, or maybe you just need a last minute gift, you’ll find this mixture can be a simple, frugal, and handy recipe.
Here’s how to do it:
Potato Soup Mix
Ingredients:
- 1-3/4 cups Instant Potato Flakes
- 1-1/2 cups Instant Dry Milk Powder
- 3 tsp Chicken Bouillon Powder
- 2 tsp Dried Minced Onion
- 1/2 tsp Celery Salt
- 1/4 tsp White Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1/8 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Dried Parsley Flakes
- 1 Tbl Dried Chives
Instructions:
- Stir together all the ingredients.
- Place the mixture into a food processor and process until the mixture is more powdery.
- Store the mixture in a jar with a tight fitting lid.
- To make the soup: Boil one cup of water and then stir in 1/4 cup of the soup mix.
Notes:
- If you do not run the mixture through the food processor, use 1/2 cup of the mix when making a bowl of soup.
- To make a vegan option: Substitute soymilk powder for the dry milk powder, substitute a couple cubes of vegetable bouillon for the chicken bouillon, and add a couple tablespoons of nutritional yeast. Add any additional salt & pepper to the prepared bowl of soup as needed.
- If you wish to have some flecks of spice in your final mixture, add the parsley and/or chives after running the mixture through the food processor.
People with heart or blood pressure issues need to control sodium, so that would be their primary reason for going low-sodium. Potassium chloride makes a fine substitute for many, and sugar is often added to low-sodium blends. Still better than sodium chloride.
Great Idea.
I add freeze dried potatoes and shelf stable bacon or freeze dried ham, and just increase the water.
Do you have a recipe for instant (Just add boiling water) Chili?
I am looking for a recipe, using freeze dried ingredients to have an instant chili for Hiking and Camping.
Thanks
Sorry, I don’t have a recipe for instant chili, but it sounds like something like that would be very handy for camping!
Could I use potato flour instead of just processing potato flakes?
Yes, you could probably make that substitution although the potato flour is most likely still a little bit finer which might result in a slightly thinner soup.
I made this today. As I get older, I enjoy easy recipes I can make that are filling but light. This fits the bill perfectly! I used it today when one of the kids asked for a snack. He wants to know if it can be his “every day snack” lol. Thank you!
Quick homemade soup is a great snack idea!
I’m vegan and have been looking for a vegan recipe for this soup. I used my homemade chickn bouillon instead of the store bought version and had to buy the soy powdered milk online as well as I couldn’t find it anywhere in any stores. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Fat or non-fat dry milk powder?
I have always used the non-fat milk powder.
Thank you for sharing your potato soup mix recipe. I made it today with the ingredients you listed. My chicken bouillon had no msg in it. I made one cup of soup with water, and found it bland. Perhaps it needed more salt. I tried another cup of mix with chicken broth and it was more flavorful. I gave this one to my husband and he liked it. I made enough mix for two jars so I’ll try different broths and see which one I like the best.
Different bouillons can have different levels of salt and/or msg and that can affect the flavor. Sometimes it’s nice however to be able to add the salt after the fact once the bowl is made, and you can adjust it to a level for each bowl as you wish.
We are doing homemade presents for Christmas. Going to make some of these up!
The problem with low sodium options is that they put other things in there to make it taste good which are more harmful than the salt. Read your labels.
Could I use this w/my dehydrated potatoes? W/or w/out processor to add some texture?
Yes, I think you could use your own dehydrated potatoes in this recipe. If the dehydrated potatoes are in slices, then I would think you would definitely have to blend them to have a powdery consistency to use in this recipe. The more you process them, the smoother the soup will be when you use the mix.
love this soup. I use 2 cups water 1 small potato cook until done add 1/3 cup mix great supper.
Could this be vacuum packed in small jars to have a longer shelf life? Thanks.
Yes, I believe you could vacuum pack this mix. I think I would do that in smaller quantities though because once you open it, then it’s the same as having it in a jar again.
Would 4 oz jelly jars work to vacuum pack?
This is amazing do you have any other recipes that you would share
I needed to rotate some of my emergency food items (potatoes, milk). This is great, had some for lunch today!
I want to try this and add a little red pepper flake to the mix. Just a touch.
I think that the red pepper flakes could be a very tasty addition if you like a little heat!
How many does one batch serve?
One batch makes approximately 8 servings.
How many 1/4 cup jars would a single batch make? I am thinking of having my girl scouts make this when they earn their simple meals badge, but I want to make sure they will all have an individual serving to take home!
If you are running this mixture through a food processor as suggested, then you should end up with about eight 1/4 cup portions to a batch.
Your comments on vegetarian broth substitutions: I like one from Orrington Farms that comes in a chicken flavor but is completely vegan if you want a chicken like flavor. I buy it from https://www.fakemeats.com/Orrington-Farms-s/99.htm. Also Bill’s Best Chick’nish powdered broth mix is very good. Thanks for the soup recipe! I think they add more depth of flavor than vegetable broth does.
I’ve discovered Mason jar instant soups lately, built into the jar in layers, for individual consumption. They’re noodle-type soups, and I’m going crazy putting different proteins, seasonings, greens/veggies, and even different noodles, i.e., rice, ramen, sobi. So. My question is what would you suggest to adapt your delicious-sounding recipe to a single use, just add boiling water pint jar?
Thanks ever so much!
Patty Sue
I think I would make the entire mix, and then just portion it out into pint jars. Just put 1/4 cup of the mix in each jar (or a 1/2 cup if you didn’t blend the mixture), and then add a note to add 1 cup of boiling water. I think it would even fit in a half pint jar!
For a vegan/non-dairy version, you could also use powdered coconut milk. It can be easily found at the local Indian or Asian grocers. Much cheaper too.