Beef Barley Soup in a Jar

Last updated on January 4th, 2024 at 12:58 am

Layered Beef Barley Soup Mix with Printable Gift Tag

By Jane Lake

Layered soup in a jar always looks so attractive that it’s a perfect homemade gift in a jar for any time of year. This one, Beef Barley Soup in a Jar, is packed with taste and healthy nutrition in mind as well.

I have included a free printable jar tag for you to attach to the jar which makes things super easy when you’re gifting the jar and need to pass on the directions.

Another well-received and popular soup-in-a-jar recipe in our soup and sides collection is this delicious Instant Cheese Soup in Jar.

Soup Ingredients:

• 2 envelopes onion soup mix ~OR~ 1 envelope onion soup mix plus 2 tbsp. beef bouillon granules ~OR~ 1/3 cup beef bouillon granules and 1/4 cup dried onion flakes
• 1/2 cup split peas
• 1/2 cup small pasta (shells, bows, alphabet etc.)
• 1/3 cup lentils
• 1/3 cup barley (preferably pot barley)
• 1/3 cup white rice
• optional: 2 tbsp dried chives
• tricolor small pasta to fill jar completely

Jar Mix Directions:

Use a wide mouth funnel to add all the ingredients to a one quart jar, layering in the order given above. Make sure the jar is tightly packed to prevent contents from moving around.

Cut a circle of fabric to decorate the jar lid, fasten with a rubber band. Cover the rubber band with raffia or ribbon, attaching the printed gift tag, which includes the cooking instructions, at the same time.

Print and cut out the gift tag. Fold in half then in half again, so the illustration is on the front and the directions are on the inside. Fill in the “To” and “From” page and attach to your gift in a jar.

Directions for using the Beef Barley Soup Mix are included on the printable tag. As people have been asking, I’m also including them here:

Cooking Instructions:

Add one pound of stewing beef, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, to six cups of water in a large pot. If desired, you can briefly brown the beef in a tablespoon of oil before adding the water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove pasta from top of jar and set aside. Add six more cups of water and remaining ingredients to the pot, bring back to a boil, then simmer for 45 minutes or until meat is almost tender. Add pasta and simmer for 15 minutes more. Enjoy.

Pot Barley versus Pearl Barley

Barley is a healthy, high-fiber grain, rich in vitamins and minerals, with many potential health benefits. Most of the fiber in barley is insoluble which helps promote regular digestion and gut health.

Pot barley or pearl barley are often added to soups or stews. While pearl barley cooks a little quicker, because most of the bran husk has been removed, pot barley, which is less refined, is a whole-grain, healthier choice. Pot barley also retains more of the chewy, nutty flavor so valued in soup and stew recipes.