Don’t you just love a good soup recipe? I do. Soup is my go-to meal on a cold day. If the weather forecast is for a snowy cold day, I plan to make a pot of soup. I shop for ingredients long before the first snow is forecast. These ingredients are in my pantry and freezer ready to go. Don’t be afraid of using frozen vegetables. I prefer them in my soups for adding texture. Using broth instead of water adds flavor and makes a good base for the vegetables. This week’s recipe is from a friend of my shih tzu Betsy. Mr. Jennings stopped by the office and made friends with her back in October. He stopped by to bring his football contest entry on Fridays and visited with Betsy. One Friday, he shared this soup recipe with me. He said a friend’s mother gave it to him and he said it’s one of his favorite soups. This recipe calls for corned beef. I have never used corned beef in a recipe so I had to try it. Canned corn beef is already cooked so it’s ready to eat but is high in fat and salt. It is recommended that you rinse the beef off under cool water to remove any excess salt, but you don’t have to. I made this recipe two ways, on the stove top as in the recipe and in my crockpot. Both times the recipe turned out great! The second time, I used lean ground beef in place of the corned beef to cut down on the salt and fat or you could just leave out the beef altogether. There is plenty of flavor in the broths. I also added a can of lima beans because I like them and had them in my pantry. The crockpot was on low for six to seven hours and it tasted just as good. I froze several containers of this soup, and it has reheated very well. There’s nothing gourmet or fancy about this soup, which is why I love it. It tastes comforting, hot and full of chunks of beef and veggies, perfect for dipping a slice of bread in. Make it once and it will become a staple in your recipe box. Thank you, Mr. Jennings!
Friends vegetable beef soup
Ingredients:
2 russet potatoes, diced
2 cups (16 oz.) Beef broth
2 cups Chicken broth
2 cups Vegetable broth
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 -12 oz packages frozen mixed vegetables
1 can corned beef, diced or (1 lb. of browned ground beef)
Salt and pepper to taste- needs less if using corned beef- taste it first!
2 TBSP basil
Add all to a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 hours and then let set. I let it rest for about 15 mins before serving it.
