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 white rice
- 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 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tablespoon vegetable powder (optional*)
- 2 tablespoon green powder (optional*)
- 2 tablespoon taco seasoning
- Chicken or beef (using a freeze-dried version of either of these meats allows you to keep a shelf-stable product safely). (optional)
*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 version
Jar Layering Directions
- Use a widemouthed quart-sized jar
- Add the beans to the bottom of the jar, tamp them down
- 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)
- Add the onion, green pepper, and corn
- Add the tomato powder, seasonings, and taco seasoning, tamping and shaking the jar to get the tomato powder to call inside the vegetables
- 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 1 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.
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:
- Quick and Easy Dehydrated Meals in a Bag book by Gangloff (the Ultimate Dehydrator author)
- Meals in a Jar: Quick and Easy, Just-Add-Water Homemade Recipes by Languille
- Dinner is in the Jar: Quick and Easy Dinner Mixes in Mason Jars or Mylar Bags by Clark
- DIY Prep N Store by Gunther
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Taco Soup in a Jar
Ingredients
- 1.5 C Quick cook red or black beans
- 1 C White rice
- ½ C Dehydrated onions
- ¾ C Dehydrated corn
- ½ C Tomato powder
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- 2 TB Taco seasoning
- 2 TB Vegetable powder optional
- 2 TB Green owder optional
- 1 C Freeze dried chicken or beef optional
Instructions
- Layer ingredients into 1 Qt mason jar
- Store in an airtight container for up to three years
- Place the contents of the jar into a 4-quart pot
- 8 C of water or broth, stirring into mixed ingredients
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 20-30 minutes
- Serve with toppings of your choice
Mary Nace says
Can I use Knorr Tomato Bouillon for the tomato powder?
Darcy says
Sure
Bonnie says
You mentioned beef or chicken in the ingredients, but not in the instructions. Do you put the beef or chicken in the jar with the dehydrated foods? Can you store freeze dried and dehydrated foods in the same jar for meals?
Darcy says
Yes,, I use freeze dried meat products in the jar with dehydrated foods. I do not dehydrate meats for shelf-stable long-term storage.
Wendy H. says
This recipe looks great, but we don't have those quick cook beans.around here. How can I make this?
Darcy says
The link in the ingredients list shows you how to make them from regular beans.