Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe

September 4, 2015

On a cold rainy day in Southern California, I’d often come home to my mother making this wonderfully wholesome soup, made from whatever vegetables she had leftover in the refrigerator. Her recipe is a little different from mine, but the end result is nothing short of delicious! It starts with a big chunk of lean ground beef, and from there, add onions, potatoes, celery, green beans, canned or fresh tomatoes or even parsnips, turnips, broccoli, corn or zucchini, basically whatever you had or wanted to add. For the base, my mother would use vegetable juice, but I use bottled spaghetti sauce for more flavor. I add basil, garlic and, of course, a bay leaf. You decide what goes in your big pot, but whatever you add, it will smell and taste amazing.

"This is true comfort food for me!" ~ Karen Mangum

Soup Season

Recently, my darling, almost 16-year-old daughter (who struggles eating enough fruits and vegetables) saw the big soup pot on the stove and declared, “I LOVE SOUP SEASON”. Her comment describes how much she loves fall and the cooler weather. Soups are also a way for her, and anyone - especially kids, to get enough veggies.  In this soup, the flavors all blended together appeal to her taste buds far more than individual vegetables alone. I’ll take it, and keep making soups which, by the way, are a huge nutritional blessing because all that nutrient goodness stays right in that pot and eventually into her tummy; that’s the point.  This soup gets more flavorful over time, so make ahead or at least have enough for leftovers!

If you’re feeling a little down, or even feel a touch of flu or cold symptoms coming on, get in your kitchen and make this soup. You’re going to feel a thousand times better!

Vegetable Beef Soup recipe

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 8-10 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds extra lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced celery, leaves included
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (24-ounce) bottle of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I use Classico Traditional Sweet Basil)
3 cups beef broth (I use Better Than Bouillon Beef Base)
3 cups water
1 (14-ounce) can Italian-seasoned ready-cut stewed tomatoes
2 cups cubed potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
1 cup diced carrots, scrubbed but not peeled (I prefer bulk carrots)
1 cup sliced fresh green beans
1 cup broccoli florets
2 tsp dried basil leaves
1 large bay leaf
1 tsp each sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
Shaved Parmesan cheese for topping

DIRECTIONS

1.  Ground beef in a large soup pot placed over medium-high heat.
2.  Add onion, celery, and garlic. Cook and stir until vegetables are soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
3.  Add remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.
4.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Correct seasonings with salt and pepper.

Optional:  Top with shaved Parmesan cheese. Serve with cut apples/pears or fresh baked french bread.

NUTRITION

Per 1 cup serving (serves 10)

With Potatoes / Without Potatoes:
Calories 215 / 192
Fat 3.8 g / 3.8 g
Cholesterol 48.6 mg / 48.6 mg
Sodium 635 mg / 635 mg
Carbohydrates 18.7 g / 13 g
Fiber 2 g / 1.6 g
Sugar 7 g / 7 g
Protein 23 g / 22 g

Originally Published on Inside Karen’s Kitchen, reprint shared with permission of Karen Mangum, MS, RDN, LD.
Photo credit:  Courtesy of Karen Mangum

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Karen Mangum, MS, RDN, LD a licensed, bariatric registered dietitian, is a seasoned recipe developer and healthy food blogger in addition to her work as a bariatric dietitian. Karen has been counseling bariatric patients for over 15 years and currently works for St. Luke’s Medical Center Bariatric Surgery Program in Boise, Idaho. She started her blog, Inside Karen’s Kitchen, as a way to preserve her family’s recipes and to share the bariatric recipes. Read more articles by Karen Magnum!

Recipe Disclaimer: If you have specific dietary restrictions, allergies or a nutrition plan that you are following, make sure to read the ingredient list prior to consumption. All information on ObesityHelp.com is intended for informational purposes only. The information is not intended to be a replacement or substitute for consultation with a qualified medical professional. Please contact a medical professional with any questions and concerns.

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