Vegetable Beef Soup

My mom used to make vegetable soup all the time. I mean, she still does, I guess, but I’m not there to eat it, so I kinda forget my folks still eat.

It’s kinda like that ol’ adage, if a tree falls in the forest but there’s no one there to hear it, does it still make a sound? And if a parent makes homemade soup and a daughter isn’t there to taste it, do they still eat it? Well, apparently, it does, and they do. But I digress…

Mom, Inventor of Vegetable Soup

Mom always put ground beef in her “vegetable soup”, so did we call it ground beef soup? Nope. Hamburger soup? Huh uh. We called it vegetable soup. Good thing we never invited vegetarians over. That would have been awkward. But I digress (again)…

This is an easy recipe that varies every time I make it, but I’ll list all the core ingredients so you can savor and enjoy the warmth of this homemade soup that’s perfect for sharing with others or enjoying all by yourself as you try to stay warm as we leave behind this extra cold winter and spring into spring. [It’s in the 90s here in Florida now, but when I drafted this post a week ago, it was in the 40s, which is the equivalent of 9 below for a Florida girl 😉 ]

Ground Beef and Vegetable Soup Ingredients

• Chicken stock, veggie stock, beef stock, and/or water — you’ll need at least a few jars but it depends upon how much broth you like. I use homemade frozen chicken stock and leftover veggie stock from times I’ve cooked/steamed vegetables and frozen the leftover water.
• 1-2 cans of diced tomatoes (depending on how much tomato you like) with juice
• 1 can of corn with juice (Note: I use all organic ingredients, but I most highly recommend your corn be organic so that it won’t be genetically modified)
• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1/3 of a head of cabbage, chopped
• Optional diced veggies: zucchini, squash, mushrooms, etc.
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 tsp. dried thyme or 1 T. fresh thyme
• seasoning salt, to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste

Ground Beef and Vegetable Soup Recipe

• Brown 1 pound of ground beef in a large pot over low-medium heat.
• Add chopped onion, oil, thyme, salt and pepper, and cook over low heat until onions soften.
• Stir in remaining vegetables.
• Add enough stock to more than cover your vegetables.
• Cook until done (about 15-20 minutes).
• Add your can of corn for color and sweetness.
• Taste and season with seasoning salt and pepper as needed.