Homemade Vegetable Soup
When I was I little my mom would often make homemade soup and sourdough bread. The whole house smelled amazing, and since we couldn’t wait for dinnertime, we’d sneak in and eat slices of the bread as it cooled. I’ve tweaked her original recipe a bit, and it’s become a family favorite for my kids too. Normally we save it for the cooler temperatures, but with everything happening globally and supply chains being interrupted, we aren’t always sure what we’ll find at the store. This sound has been perfect paired with gluten-free cornbread or homemade sourdough or artisan bread!
The recipe is incredibly forgiving, so you could make it vegetarian, use ground beef, venison or chicken, and use any vegetables you have on hand! I’ve used sweet potatoes, red potatoes and butternut squash for the starch, a mix of zucchini, okra, cabbage, yellow squash, green peas, multicolored carrots, even parsnips! The parsnips lend a slightly bitter, spicy flavor (similar to arugula) that my kids don’t love so I don’t use them as often, but all the other variations have been great!
Homemade Vegetable + Beef Soup
1lb ground meat (I typically use 1/2 grass fed beef 1/2 venison)
1lb organic red potatoes, diced
1 large bag organic frozen mixed vegetables*
1/2 small head organic cabbage, chopped
1-2 zucchini or yellow squash, chopped
1 28oz jar organic crushed tomatoes
1 small organic yellow onion
1 box organic beef broth
Approx 1tsp each onion powder, thyme, oregano
Approx 2tsp salt, garlic powder
Olive oil
Add olive oil to the pan, then add diced onions. Cook until translucent, then add in ground meat (if using) and brown. Once the meat is browned, add in the potatoes, seasonings, crushed tomatoes, broth, and any hearty vegetables (butternut squash, carrots, etc). Bring to a low boil. Once boiling, add remaining vegetables (zucchini, cabbage, okra, frozen mixed vegetables) and simmer on low for about 30 minutes or until your veggies are cooked (time will honestly depend on what vegetables you use). Add more broth or water to desired consistency.
Serve with your favorite cornbread, artisan bread or even rice! Again, the recipe is very forgiving so you can easily make this fit whatever you have in your pantry. Tag me on Instagram and comment below when you make it!
Notes:
*I never measure with my vegetables but roughly maintain at least a 2:1 ratio of veggies to protein. I typically add a bag of mixed frozen vegetables, 1-2 zucchini, 1-2 carrots, 1/2 head of cabbage and sometimes a bit more if it seems too meat heavy.
