autumn vegetable beef soup

With fall quickly approaching, I am getting excited about the thought of warm meals perfect for those soon to be crisp evenings. There is something so nice about coming in from a brisk fall day to a warm bowl of soup, so I decided to make a vegetable beef soup from leftovers of the roast I made last week. This meal is a perfect way to use up those leftover scraps to add flavor and depth for a good, hearty meal. The leftover vegetables and liquid make a savory broth base for this, and the meat adds flavor and protein. The great thing about soups and stews is that you can throw in what you have and adjust the amounts to your taste, as I did when I made this, instead of having exact amounts of ingredients. I made a large batch of this and froze it in several small batches for us to enjoy throughout the coming months. 

If you do not have a roast to use as part of this stew, simply buy some stew meat and extra beef broth. Saute the stew meat in some oil (you can coat it in flour if you prefer), along with the onion and garlic, dice up some extra carrots and potatoes, and prepare as follows.  This soup is great when served with cornbread.

Vegetable beef soup

I N G R E D I E N T S :

1 Tbsp. XVOO

1 Onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

28 oz diced tomatoes

Liquid from previous roast (I had around 1 1/2 cups)

Beef and vegetables remaining from previous roast

4 additional carrots, diced

4 additional potatoes, diced

1 cup water plus 2 cubes beef bouillon (I used 2 tsp. of Better than Bouillon paste), or 2 cups beef broth 

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup frozen green beans

1 bay leaf

2 splashes Worcestershire sauce

basil, oregano, basil, and parsley to taste (I just sprinkle some of all of them over the stew to add flavor)

D I R E C T I O N S :

In a large pot or dutch oven, saute onion and garlic in XVOO over medium-high heat until soft and transparent.

Add tomatoes, along with liquid you have from previous roast (I actually pureed 1 cup of the leftover vegetables with the liquid for a thicker base). If you do not have a roast, use 2 cups beef broth in place of this liquid. Add another cup of water along with bouillon cubes (or 2 tsp. better than bouillon), or two additional cups of beef broth.

Cut up leftover beef from roast into 1/2" squares, and add to liquid. If you do not have leftover roast, this is where you would add freshly cooked stew meat in.

Dice carrots and potatoes, and add to pot. If you have leftover vegetables from the roast, add these, too, because they give added flavor.  If you don't, you may want to add in some extra carrots and potatoes, depending on how thick you want your stew. Add corn and beans as well.

Add bay leaf, 2 splashes Worcestershire sauce, and oregano, basil, and parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. 

Bring to a boil on medium heat and quickly lower to simmer on low, covered for 1 hour or longer. 

Adjust seasonings, salt, and pepper as stew cooks.