Taco Soup in a Jar Recipe

Want a shelf-stable meal in a jar perfect for busy nights or emergencies? Try this Taco Soup in a Jar recipe that will also make a great gift!

This recipe is loved by kids and adults alike. While there is some pre-planning in the form of dehydrating the ingredients, once you’ve got them all together creating the soup in a jar only takes minutes to put together.

Taco Soup in a Jar

For each quart Mason jar you’ll need:

• 1 ½ cups quick-cook red or black beans
• 1 cup quick-cook white rice (regular rice can be used, but it will take longer to cook)
• ½ cup dehydrated onion (or use a bulk option like Augason Farms )
• ⅓ cup dehydrated green peppers
• ¾ cup dehydrated corn (frozen corn is great for dehydrating and storing)
• ½ cup tomato powder
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons vegetable powder (optional*)
• 2 tablespoons green powder (optional*)
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• Chicken or beef (using a freeze-dried version of either of these meats allows you to keep a shelf-stable product safely). You can substitute unflavored TVP as well.

*Optional: Dehydrated powders are a great way to sneak a little extra nutrition into any meal you make, and soups are perfect for it.

Note - you can use freeze-dried versions of all the ingredients, as well.

Jar Layering Directions

1. Use a widemouthed quart-sized jar
2. Add the beans to the bottom of the jar, tamp them down
3. Add the rice over the beans, tamping and shaking the jar to get the rice to fall inside the beans (optional, you may like the look of the layers instead)
4. Add the onion, green pepper, and corn
5. Add the tomato powder, seasonings, and taco seasoning, tamping and shaking the jar to get the tomato powder to call inside the vegetables
6. Tighten the canning jar lid and (if giving as a gift) decorate with paper or a cloth square.

NOTE: If this will be on the shelf for longer than one year, add a 300cc oxygen packet to the jar before capping.

Cooking Directions

• Place the contents of the jar into a 4-quart pot
• Add 8 cups of water, stirring to mix the ingredients
• Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium, simmer for 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are tender
• Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream, if desired.

Substitutions

Meat: Substitute fresh meat (about 1 lb for this recipe unless you like more). You can use chicken or any red meat and even shredded pork

Vegetarian: If you don't eat meat, substitute the meat with unflavored TVP (it has a longer shelf life) or more beans for bulk

Beans: You can use cooked fresh beans, canned beans, dehydrated beans of any variety that you like.

Carb: You don't need to use a carb here, but you can use rice, tortilla chips, pasta, quinoa, or rackers. The pasta and quinoa can be dehydrated like rice to make a 'quick cook' version for meals in a jar if you'd like.

To Store:

On the Shelf:

• The Meal in a Jar should last at least a year, maybe longer, depending on the ingredients. It's helpful to add an oxygen absorber if you are storing it for a year or more to protect the freeze dried meat.

Once cooked:

• Store in the fridge for 4 or 5 days in an airtight container.
• Freeze for up to six months. I love storing in these SouperCubes from Amazon.

Watch me make Taco Soup!

Meals in a Jar / Bag Books

If you are interested in more meals in a jar (bag), check out these books available online and at many bookstores: