Linda's Hamburger Vegetable Soup

This is the soup that you just can't live without. 

 

 

It's the one the kids inhaled ... even as picky teenagers.  It's simple, hearty comfort food that's so jam-packed with stuff that people can't believe it's not a stew.  It's healthy and filling and not terribly expensive to pull together.

 

It calls for ingredients that you probably have on hand.  You can use ground beef or cubed beef or leftover pot roast.  And whatever bits and pieces of veggies are laying around just begging to be redeemed.  You can toss in extra rice or pasta or whatever.  Go ahead and double or triple it for a pot luck dinner or when the family descends en mass.  Simply add more water to stretch it to feed 5000.  It's that versatile and oh-so-forgiving.

 

Cook on the stove or throw in the crockpot.  It only gets better with reheating.  And freezes spectacularly in a big ol' Ziploc bag or those ready-to-throw-in-a-lunch-bag plastic bowls. 

 

I've been using this recipe for decades ... and I promise that you will, too!

 

Brown 1 1/2 pounds ground beef.  Drain.

 

Add

3 cups water

3 chopped carrots

2 chopped celery stalks

1 large diced potato 

2 medium chopped onions

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon Gravy Master

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon basil

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

 

Heat to boiling, lower to simmer.  Cover and cook 20 minutes.

 

As my Italian grandfather used to say ... Mangia {Eat!} ~