I usually bake homemade sweets for all our neighbors and friends at the holidays, but this year I decided to give everyone Gourmet Red Wine Soup Mixes instead.
My friend Renee makes these soup mixes -- all natural, all vegan, low in sodium (hooray!), and yummy, too. You just add water or broth and they're done in less than an hour. My favorite is the Red Wine Vegetable Bean (I like adding cooked brown rice and baby spinach to it).
I'm putting them into little gift boxes for my friends and family along with a package of crackers and some fresh clementines.
I hope people don't mind the healthier gift this year. With all the diabetes, heart attacks, and high blood pressure I've been a witness to this year, I couldn't bear to make everybody another batch of cookies and fudge.
I am going to have to try these. I love having ready made mixes like these in the cabinet. Thank you for the recommendation.
ReplyDeleteAt the rate we're going...healthy food is the best x-mas pressie for everyone regardless of health status.
ReplyDeleteGood thinking!
Wow sounds yummy. I had never heard of powdered wine before.
ReplyDeleteCiao
I wouldn't mind at all! Send one here! LOL
ReplyDeleteOh my, those sound good! The split pea one is calling my name...I really love that type of soup!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, food gifts are the best. And soup mixes are such fun. I'm always too cheap to buy them, and ini this economy, I'm sure lots of people are. Receiving them as a gift even makes them more special.
ReplyDeleteMan, I would love if Santa brought me some all natural, all vegan easy to prepare delicious warm soup meals!!! I think it's a great idea!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see people giving one another copies of Vegan Lunchbox ;)
ReplyDeleteI'd like to point out that I enjoyed Vegetarian Times this month --they did a spot on Vegan Lunchbox. My goodness you've really hit the big leagues now. You go girl!
along those same lines, I was thinking of giving my friends and family a mason jar of "Magical Loaf" with a link to your website on it. We LOVE the magical loaf and eat it at least once a week. It is our new favorite "standard" and so comforting on a cold night. The soups looks great, but they are pricey. With 3 kids (that's 9 teachers all together, plus our friends), I might go broke. But maybe I can come up with my own mix. Powdered wine? cool.
ReplyDeleteJennifer,
ReplyDeleteHey, it's Erin (Steph Johansen's sister-in-law.) I wanted to let you know that I just started carrying all of Renee's soups at my Nature's Corner at the West Richland Yokes! I'm so happy to add another local product to my shelves. Glad to see the promotion of her soups on your blog. They are terrific! Thanks!
Erin Sagadin
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI was thrilled to receive your thoughtful gift and loved the "wrapping" too!
I make bean soup often. How nice to have a quick and healthy option.
Hi Erin!
Mary Ellen
I also received some bean soup this year from the Women's Bean Project www.womensbeanproject.com
ReplyDeleteNot strictly vegan - the package I received didn't have any animal products but did suggest adding ham to the soup. The non-profit company helps to support women in need of employment skills.
OH HOW COOL! I hadn't read your blog at the time, but I gave these out to lots of people for Christmas!! I actually found these soups in a market here in Puyallup and since they were (sorta) local - (from my state anyway), and everyone who knows me knows what a HUGE red-wine fan I am - soooo I thought they'd be perfect gifts! (And they were! Got lots of rave reviews already!) Anyway, it's cool that they're made by a friend of yours!!
ReplyDeleteAnd it's tasty too!
ReplyDelete