Easy Vegetable Beef Soup

This soup is such a simple and quick fix! It can literally be thrown together in one pot and on the table in approximately 30 minutes. It goes down great on blustery cold autumn days, or after a romp in the snow! Serve it with a nice warm crusty bread and you have a meal fit for a king!








2 pounds Beef, cubed ( I use a Chuck Roast or whatever is on sale)
1 small Yellow Onion, chopped
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
32 ounces Beef Stock
32 ounces Water
1 - 29 oz. can Tomato Sauce
3 Bay Leaves
16 oz. Regular Frozen Mixed Vegetables
3 small Red Potatoes, washed and cut into small cubes
8 oz Bow Tie pasta
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a stockpot, over medium high heat, add your olive oil. When the oil's hot, add the chopped onion and beef. Cook the beef until it's browned on all sides and the onion is soft. Add the bay leaves, beef stock, tomato sauce and water. Next add the vegetables and potatoes. Bring the soup to a boil, then add the pasta. Boil until the pasta and potatoes are tender, approximately 8 to 11 minutes.

Season to taste.

Serves about 8-10 (depending on how hungry, or how cold, you are)

Once you have basic recipe down, it's incredibly versatile also! For instance, use your left over roasted chicken (or turkey! The holidays are near!), switch the beef stock for chicken and omit the tomato sauce (or even leave it in) and viola!! You have chicken soup better than anything you would get out of a can! Or, for you vegetarians ... omit the meat, and switch to vegetable broth.

If you decide to leave out the tomato sauce, I would thicken the broth slightly by dissolving some cornstarch in cold water and stir the mixture into the soup while it's boiling. You don't want the broth too thick; just enough to give it some body.

Be on the lookout for my Olive Oil Bread! It's great for dunking and soaking up all the wonderful broth!