dry soup mix
Also known as: Cugino's wild rice and chicken dry soup mix
A packaged, dehydrated soup base -- typically rice or pasta plus a seasoning and bouillon-style packet -- meant to be simmered with water (and sometimes milk) according to the package directions to build a soup quickly. Brands and specific combinations (wild rice and chicken, minestrone, and similar) vary widely.
Buying guidance
A regional or specialty brand (as with Cugino's) may not be available everywhere -- a nationally distributed dry soup or rice-and-seasoning mix in a similar flavor is the closest substitute if the specific brand isn't on hand.
Substitutions
- A different brand's dry soup mix in a similar flavor -- close enough, though exact seasoning and grain vary.
- Homemade: rice or pasta plus chicken bouillon and dried herbs -- more control over saltiness and flavor, more measuring.
- A canned condensed soup, diluted -- a different format but a similar one-product shortcut for a soup base.
Tips & common mistakes
Not following the package's stated water-to-mix ratio throws off both the seasoning strength and the final consistency -- these mixes are usually salted and thickened to work with a specific liquid amount.
Storage
Keeps for a year or more in a sealed package at room temperature, away from moisture.