Growing up on the farm without a lot of money, Mom learned how to cook like Grandma. They had plenty of ways to make something out of nothing. Some recipes were handed down through the generations and others they got from friends and neighbors. My grandparents just happened to live on the same road as a nice Amish family. They would often visit one another, swap foods for services, and share stories and recipes.
One of the recipes that Grandma got from that family was Friendship soup. It seemed fitting seeing as they really were friends. I remember eating it all the time when I was younger. When I found the same recipe on Recipe Lion, I couldn’t wait to try it out for myself at home.
It was just as yummy and simple to make as what I remembered. I like to add a few more vegetables to mine, especially when I’m not sharing with my picky kids. It’s a great dish to have around when we aren’t feeling the greatest. It is the ultimate comfort food on those drab winter days too.
Ingredients
1/2 cup dry split peas, sorted and rinsed
1/2 cup dried lentils, sorted and rinsed
1/3 cup beef bouillon granules
1/4 cup pearl barley
1/4 cup dried minced onion
2 teaspoons McCormick’s Italian seasoning
1 cup small pasta
1 pound ground beef
3 quarts water
1 (28-ounce) can Hunt’s diced tomatoes
Instructions
In a 1 1/2 pint jar, layer the first seven ingredients in order listed and seal.
Remove pasta from the top of the jar to be used later.
In a large pot, brown ground beef and drain.
Return cooked ground beef to the pot, add the water, tomatoes, and the remaining soup ingredients except for the pasta.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
Add pasta and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until pasta, peas, lentils, and barley are tender.
Source: allrecipes.com
