Mom's Vegetable and Beef Soup

     When I was a girl my mom made this vegetable and beef soup a lot. I've made some changes to make it a bit healthier and often I leave out the meat, but still it feels like comfort food to me.  It taste best after sitting in the refrigerator over night. My theory is the tomato base has time to soak into the vegetables. I use organic, fresh produce, but canned vegetables are better than no vegetables. This is easy to make and easily feeds six. Always looking to spice it up, Pete loves this with fresh parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.

If using meat choose one pound of a good cut of beef           

  2 carrots, chopped                                                               2 celery stalks,chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced                                                      1 cup green beans

1/2 medium onion, chopped                                                  1 cup of corn

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed                                                1/2 cabbage, chopped

1 14 oz can tomatoes, rotel works well                                 Trader Joe's Tomato Juice(1/2 bottle)

1 Tbl oregano                        

(You can use whatever veggies you like, I sometimes add lima beans, peas, zucchini, whatever I have on hand)

Heat olive oil in dutch oven add meat, onion, and garlic, cook for ten minutes on medium heat. Add all the rest of the ingredients except the cabbage. Cook on medium/low for three hours, adding tomato juice to suit your taste as it cooks. Add cabbage for thirty minutes or so. I love this recipes because you really can't over cook it, the longer it cooks the softer the meat and the more the tomato flavor mingles with the vegetables. 

Bon Apetit!
Calories: 330 in three cup serving, Total of 5 BIG servings!