Friendship Soup

The dry mix ingredients:
1/2 cup dried green split peas
1/4 cup medium pearl barley
1/2 cup dried lentils
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 cup uncooked pasta
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 pkgs. onion soup mix (total 2-1/2 oz.)

Additional ingredients needed when preparing soup:
1 lb. ground meat (sirloin, turkey breast, or chicken)
3 qt.s water
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained

Soup preparation:
Set pasta aside for later use. In Dutch oven, use medium heat to cook ground meat until no longer pink. Drain. Add water, tomatoes and soup mix and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in pasta. Cover and simmer 15 minutes to 20 minutes or until the pasta, peas, barley and lentils are tender. Freezes well. Yield: 4 quarts.
16 servings. 1 serving= 1 cup

Nutrient value per serving, based on a 1,500 calorie diet:
Exchanges: 1-1/2 Starch; 1 Lean Meat
Calories: 168
Calories from fat 27
Total Fat: 3g (6%)
Saturated Fat: 1g (7%)
Cholesterol: 18 mg (6%)
Sodium: 396 mg (17%)
Total Carbohydrate: 25 g (11%)
Dietary Fiber: 4g(20%)
Sugars: 3g
Protein: 11g

This recipe appeared in the November 2010 issue of TOPS News (magazine when you are a TOPS member) and was served by our Area Captain at the Christmas party. She also gave as a prize the dry ingredients to make this soup. Neat gift idea.