Hearty Winter Vegetable Soup with Beef

This basic soup can be made with any combination of fresh or frozen vegetables, and tastes lovely with shredded chicken in place of beef. It’s a perfect soup to change with the seasons, so look for fresh seasonal vegetables to reinvent this soup several times a year. The recipe as shown below, which was used during my Soup Making class at Tecumseh Community School, will make between 12 and 16 cups of soup depending on the type of vegetables used and how long you choose to simmer it - enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 lb of beef, cut into bite-sized cubes
• 2 cups chopped onions or thinly sliced leeks (whites only)
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 5 cups of vegetable broth
• 3 cups of water
• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 6 cups mixed winter root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, turnip, squash, parsnips, zucchini, etc.
• 1 cup of frozen peas and 1 cup of frozen corn

Directions:

1. Add 1 Tbsp of oil to a frying pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add the beef a few pieces at a time, browning each side before removing it to a small bowl. Repeat until all the beef is browned, then add ½ cup of vegetable stock to the frying pan to deglaze it – be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly to get up any bits of remaining beef. Add the resulting liquid to the bowl with the browned beef.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onions or leeks, celery, and Italian seasoning; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 8 minutes or until onions are translucent, and then add the browned beef and deglazing liquid.
3. Add broth, tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste, and 3 cups water to pot; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, 20 minutes.
4. Add root vegetables to the pot, and return to a simmer. Cook, uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add frozen peas and corn, and cook for an additional 10 minutes to heat through before serving. To thicken your soup, continue to simmer for several hours – as the potatoes break down and the broth cooks off your soup will thicken into an almost stew-like consistency.