Hearty Veggie Soup, the Ultimate Autumn Comfort Food

Any day with soup is a good day and this recipe makes it better. Save money by using lean ground beef, turkey , or ground chicken and frozen vegetable blends. Here I used ground lean beef to make a pot of homemade, comforting soup for dinner. This recipe makes six to eight cups of soup and costs around $12, depending on your choice of protein. My kiddo with braces enjoys this after getting them adjusted at the orthodontists and my hubby enjoys having a bowl of homemade healthy, warming soup after a stressful day of work followed by a maddening drive home. Try this simple recipe for homemade soup for yourself or loved ones. This gluten-free recipe is so versatile it can easily be made vegetarian too. * Slow cooker instructions included!

Vegetarian Substitutes:

• Add protein by substituting cubed Tempeh or firm tofu for meat. Add it to soup in the last 10-20 minutes of cooking on low heat and gently stir in.
• Add in 8 ounces of canned beans, drained. Dark red kidney beans are nutritious, or even white navy beans are flavorful. Use what you like.
• Substitute meat stock for vegetable broth or water.

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Hearty Vegetable Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 16 Ounces Beef, lamb, turkey, or chicken, ground or cut into small pieces (spoon-sized)
• 32 Ounce container Broth or stock, low sodium. Use beef stock for beef or lamb, chicken stock if using chicken or turkey
• 1 15 Ounce Can Crushed tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 -2 Teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (depending on your taste)
• 1 Teaspoon Soy sauce, low salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon your favorite hot sauce (If you like). I use Sriracha Garlic sauce since it has no vinegar.
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, use whatever type of thickener you have. This helps the broth to have more body, viscosity. Arrow root works well also.
• 8 Ounces white potatoes, washed, peeled, and cut small
• 8 Ounces Water, filtered if possible
• 1 Small bag of frozen veggie blend. I use one with yellow corn, green beans, English peas, and diced carrots.
• 4 Ounces white onion, cut small
• 1 clove garlic, minced or mashed
• Salt to taste

START COOKING:

1. In a stock pot on medium heat add 1 teaspoon of water. Add meat and onions, stirring as meat cooks until done. Drain meat in a colander sitting in a bigger bowl. Reserve the meat juices and toss them out in an empty can later. Put meat and onions back in pot and sprinkle the cornstarch over mixture. Stir until combined. Cook 1 minute.

2. Add soy and Worcestershire sauces. Add hot sauce if desired and stir to combine. Pour in broth, water, and tomato products. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.

3. Add frozen veggies and garlic. Cover with good fitting lid and bring to boil, cooking 60 minutes on low heat. Cook longer if you like veggies really soft. My kiddo with braces enjoys this soft soup after getting them adjusted at the orthodontists.

4. Add potatoes and cook another 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Season with salt to your taste.

5. Turn off heat and allow to cool a few minutes prior to serving warm.

Tasty Tips*

• Adding 1 Cup shredded cabbage or mushrooms is healthy and delicious in the recipe too.
• If you substitute Tempeh or Tofu for meat, add it with the potatoes and cook until potatoes are tender. Turn off heat, move pan from hot burner and allow to cool some before serving warm.
• Freeze leftovers up to 3 months for a quick and easy meal later. Label and date the freezer bag of soup with a marker.
• Additions: I like to serve this hearty soup with crackers or top it with croutons. Warm buttered rolls, corn bread, or biscuits are all great sidekicks too. Use this link to find my biscuit recipe.

Slow Cooker Recipe

Cook meat and onions in a frying pan on medium heat until meat is done. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat mixture to the slow cooker crock pot. Turn on the slow cooker to high heat. Sprinkle cornstarch over the mixture and stir to combine. Add in seasoning sauces and stir. Combine all ingredients and cover the crock. Allow to cook on high for a couple of hours before adding potatoes. Boil again until potatoes are tender. Use a lower heat setting if leaving this to slow cook for several hours.

ALLERGY ALERT:

If you are allergic to soy products, omit the soy sauce. Gluten-Free recipe.

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Holy Bible verse for happiness and wisdom; Speaking about the attributes of the Spirit of God and our Spirit with him, Galatians 5:22 says,’But the fruit of the Spirit is love, goodness, faithfulness.” Indeed God is faithful to us, his creation, and does not leave us. He rejoices when we call on him.