Edible Gifts: Ranch Dressing and Striped Soup Mix
We love giving and getting edible gifts. There’s so much food around during the holidays, though, that somethings it’s nice to give a gift that someone can make and later. These edible gifts are alternatives to classic holiday cookies, plus they’re a lot healthier. We’ll be sharing some of our favorite edible gifts throughout the month of December. Here are two edible mixes to make: Striped Soup Mix and Ranch Dressing Mix.
Striped Soup Mix
A pot of soup is not the kind of present you can wrap—but a beautifully layered jar of homemade soup mix is! Plus, you can make a lot of presents at once to use up all those beans.
HANDS-ON TIME: 15 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES
MAKES: 7 SERVINGS
KITCHEN GEAR:
Measuring cup
INGREDIENTS:
1-pound bags dried peas, beans, and lentils (pink, black, white, lima, kidney, navy, red, or pinto beans; green, brown or red lentils; black-eyed peas; green or yellow split peas)
bay leaves
pint-sized canning jars (or other clean, empty 2-cup jars with lids)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Wash your hands with soap and water, then gather all your kitchen gear and ingredients and put them on a clean counter.
- Carefully layer the beans in the jars, using ¼-cup of each type of bean.
- Put 1 bay leaf in each jar, and screw on the lids.
- Add a ribbon and a gift tag that says:
Recipe Instructions
1. Take out the bay leaf.
2. Rinse the beans with cold water and then put them in a large pot. Cover them with fresh cold water and soak them overnight.
3. Drain the beans, add them back into the pot with 6 cups fresh water or chicken stock, one 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes, 1 clove chopped garlic, and the bay leaf.
4. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer gently until all the beans are tender, about 2 hours.
5. Add salt to taste.
Ranch Dressing Mix
Everybody loves ranch dressing and now, thanks to your thoughtful gift, they’ll be able to whip up a homemade batch whenever the craving strikes.
HANDS-ON TIME: 15 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES
MAKES: 1 SERVING
KITCHEN GEAR:
Measuring spoons
Half-pint jar with lid
INGREDIENTS:
dried parsley
dried dill
onion powder
garlic
paprika
fresh ground pepper
salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
Wash your hands with soap and water, then gather all your kitchen gear and ingredients and put them on a clean counter.
- Spoon all the ingredients into a jar and cap tightly.
- Add a ribbon and a gift tag that says: For dip: Stir one tablespoon of mix into one cup plain low-fat yogurt. For dressing: Add a quarter cup of lowfat milk too. Refrigerate overnight for best flavor.