The Son's Beef Vegetable Soup

By dette

Now here's a soup I like to cook up in a big batch, giving me enough to save leftovers in the freezer. Only problem is, I find myself so enjoying this hearty, stick-to-your-ribs soup that I eat my leftovers before they even make it to the freezer. The meat is so fall-apart tender it will melt in your mouth. And a bowl of this tasty soup is jam-packed with veggies, giving you plenty to feel good about.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 lb boneless, chuck, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 tsp salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 c. finely chopped onions
• 1 c. finely chopped celery
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 cans (14/12 oz each) low-sodium diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
• 2 quarts low-sodium beef broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 c. peeled and finely chopped potatoes
• 3 c frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 1/2 c frozen butter beans
• 1 1/2 c canned or frozen black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained if canned
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the beef with the salt and pepper to taste. Working in batches, brown the beef all over. Set aside the browned meat on a plate.
Add the onions, and celery to the pot and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic powder, tomatoes, beef broth, 2 cups water, and the bay leaves. Return the beef and its juices to the pot and simmer, uncovered, until very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Add the potatoes for the last 30 minutes of this cooking time.
When the meat is tender, stir in the frozen vegetables, butter beans, and peas and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce just before serving.

Here's a little trick my Mama taught me. To remove excess beef fat that floats to the top of the soup, swirl a large iceberg lettuce leaf around the surface of the soup-the leaf will pick up a lot of the fat.

fat 11 g; calorie 322; protein 23 g' carb 24 g; fiber 6 g; sodium 546 mg