As the "ber" months begin, it's time to start bringing out all the cozy soup recipes! And there's nothing like a hearty bowl of vegetable soup, am I right? There are plenty of different versions of vegetable soups/stews out there, but I've got a simple and easy (yet still delicious) one for you today, courtesy of my grandmother. This is what she calls "fridge soup", because she will set aside leftover vegetables, store them in the freezer, and then use all the frozen veggies she's collected to make vegetable soup. It's a great, budget-friendly meal and a way to utilize leftovers instead of letting them go to waste! But if you don't have leftover veggies sitting around, don't worry--the soup is still just as yummy with fresh, canned, or frozen veggies from the grocery store!
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs browned ground beef
- 6-8 cups of water
- 1 can beef broth
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 4-6 red potatoes, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 bag small carrots
- 1 can corn OR 1 bag frozen corn
- 1 can green lima beans OR 1 bag frozen green lima beans
- 1 can green beans OR 1 bag frozen green beans
- 1 small package cut okra
- 2 gloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Salt (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
Notes:
- Sweet potatoes make a great addition to this soup as well!
- Any of the canned veggies can be substituted for bags of frozen veggies instead.
- Cornbread is a great accompaniment to this soup, and my favorite mix to buy is Krusteaz's Honey Cornbread. Sooooo good! Another good option is the classic Jiffy brand cornbread with a small can of green chilis and a cup of shredded cheddar cheese added to the mix!
Instructions:
- Brown ground beef in a large stock pot, then drain excess fat.
- Add diced onion and minced garlic to the pot and cook 2-3 minutes until fragrant and soft.
- Dump all other ingredients, including seasonings, into the pot and stir together.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours.
- Serves 6-8 people
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
