Vegetable Beef Soup

Soup! Soup! Soup! I do love a good soup. I feel like when I cook soup that I'm channeling Dad. He LOVED soup. Any soup. Any time. 

Tonight's soup was a Vegetable Beef Soup. I feel like I don't really need a recipe to make this type of soup, but sometimes they have some interesting ingredient that I wouldn't have thought of. That's not the case here. Pretty typical soup recipe. 

It's hearty, warm, and filling. It's a perfect soup for a winter day. 

I made a couple of modifications. First, I didn't bother with the bay leaves. I'm now more and more convinced that they do nothing in soups and stews so I forgo them almost every time. The second thing I did was add a splash of Worcestershire sauce. It really helps with the savory flavor I think. And lastly, I didn't put the potatoes in. I don't need them and I'm not always a fan of potatoes in soups.

My version wasn't as thick as Little Sunny Kitchen's version. That's primarily due to me being hungry and I prefer a brothy soup over a thick soup. 

I'd make this again. It's simple and delicious. I plan on having the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Vegetable Beef Soup

Recipe from Little Sunny Kitchen

Serves 4

• 1 pound stew meat
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil divided – or avocado oil
• 1 large onion diced
• 1 large carrot diced
• 2 celery stalks chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 4 cups beef broth
• 14.5 ounces (400 g) canned diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 medium potatoes diced
• 1 cup green beans trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup corn kernels (frozen or fresh)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the stew meat. Season the beef with salt and pepper and brown the beef in batches to avoid overcrowding. Once browned, transfer the beef to a plate and set aside.

In the same pot, add another tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté for about 4-5 minutes or until the onions become translucent. Add the minced garlic and sauté for an additional minute.

Pour the beef broth and diced tomatoes (with their juice) into the pot. Return the browned beef to the pot. Add the Italian seasoning, bay leaves, and season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for about 25 minutes.

Incorporate the diced potatoes into the pot. Let it simmer, covered, for an additional 15 minutes.

Add the green beans to the pot and let it simmer for another 10 minutes or until the green beans are tender but still vibrant in color. Stir in the corn and let it cook for 5 more minutes or until heated through.

Turn off the heat. Stir in the freshly chopped parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve warm with crusty bread or a side salad if desired.