Veggie Beef Soup

I don’t know about you, but I love soups. Well, soups and stews. I like the fact that they last a while giving you multiple meals, but also the comfort that it brings me. A bowl of soup is like a warm hug.

My family has been making veggie soup for a while with the recipe staying the same. My grandma made it often when I was growing up, but what I remember most is my great grandma making it. I remember going to her house for Sunday dinner and there would be the giant 16 quart pot on the stove full of veggie beef soup.

When I make this I make it in either a 7 or 16 quart pot. The instructions are for a 16 quart pot. This is one of the easiest things you could possibly make.

• 2- 15oz cans green beans
• 2- 15oz cans of corn
• 1lb carrots (peeled and cut into bite size pieces)
• 5lbs potatoes (washed and cut into small chunks)
• 1 small head of cabbage (washed and cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 2-32oz cartons of beef broth
• 2-64oz bottles of tomato juice (NOT sauce)
• 1-1.5lbs stew beef

1. In this order, add the potatoes, cabbage, and carrots to your pot.
2. Then add your green beans and corn (if you would like to add peas to this, do it now. I don’t like peas so they are a no go for me lol).
3. Add your beef broth and tomato juice and give it a light stir. The goal of placing the ingredients in this order is that the things that will take longer too cook get to sit closer to the heat.
4. Turn your stove on to medium high heat and let it start heating.
5. While your soup is warming up, sear your stew meat in a skillet. I like to just get it to start to brown on the edges. Once you do this you can add it to the soup and make sure it is submerged.
6. You want to get the soup to a boil. Once there, reduce your heat to low and let it simmer. I like to let it simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking. You’ll know it’s done when the potatoes and carrots can be easily pierced with a fork and the cabbage is flexible and has darkened significantly.

The best thing to do is to make it the day before you want to eat it. It’s about like chili and tastes good the night of but better the next day.

This is one of my go to recipes when cooler weather starts to set in. I share it with family and still manage to have enough for me and my family for most of the week. It is good for you, fills you up, and for me it brings back so many nice memories that warm my heart as well. I like to eat mine with some homemade bread or butter and crackers.