Beef Vegetable Soup

Stew meat is ridiculously expensive these days.  If you can’t afford stew meat, then feel free to use hamburger. It is just as good and more budget friendly.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat or 1 pound of ground beef

2 1/2 Tablespoons vegetable oil,

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 3/4 cups of chopped yellow onion (1 large)

1 1/4 cups of peeled and chopped carrots (3 medium)

1 cup chopped celery (3 medium)

1 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

8 cups of low-sodium beef broth or chicken broth

2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes (regular or fire roasted)

1 1/2 tsp dried basil 

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 pound (that’s 16 ounces) red or yellow potatoes, chopped into 3/4-inch cubes (if canned potatoes are all that you have, use 1 14 ounce can of diced potatoes)

1 1/2 cups (5 oz.) chopped green beans (trim ends first)- frozen OK

1 1/2 cups frozen corn – canned OK, but not as good

1 cup frozen peas – don’t substitute this, canned peas will fall apart in the soup

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley – optional but really good

Instructions

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. 

Dab stew meat dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper then add half of the beef to pot and brown about 4 minutes, turning halfway through. Transfer to a plate add another 1/2 Tbsp oil to pot and repeat process with remaining half of beef.

If you are using ground beef, simply add the beef to the pan and break the ground beef apart as it browns.

Add another 1 Tbsp oil to now empty pot then add onions, carrots, and celery then sauté 3 minutes, add garlic sauté 1 minute longer.

Pour in broth, tomatoes, browned beef, basil, oregano, thyme and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring once or twice throughout, for 30 minutes.

Add potatoes then continue to simmer, covered, 20 minutes.

Stir in green beans and simmer 15 minutes longer, or until all of the veggies and beef are tender.

Pour in corn and peas and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and serve hot.