Homemade Vegetable Soup
From the Kitchen
This isn’t so much a recipe as it is a guideline. The beauty of vegetable soup is that it welcomes whatever you happen to have on hand, making it one of my favorite ways to clean out the refrigerator. The last time I made it, I used up all those almost-empty bags of frozen vegetables that seem to collect in the freezer, along with the last handfuls from a few different boxes of pasta.
Years ago my in laws came to visit and my mother in-law asked if I would like her to make her vegetable soup for dinner one of the nights they were here. Grateful for the night off and curious as to what her vegetable soup was like, I answered her with an enthusiastic, yes!
It was so delicious that I asked her to write it down for me before they left. That folded sheet of notebook paper still hangs on the side of my refrigerator where I find myself reaching for it time and time again. I can't help but wonder when we have it if it takes my husband back to his childhood or makes him think about his mom the way that chicken pot pie does for me.
I also feel it is important to make my case for soup in the summer. I know a lot of people consider soup to be a fall/winter thing but I love soup in every season. When the garden is overflowing with amazing produce that is at its peak, to me, that means it is the perfect time for soup regardless of temperature.
Ingredients
- 2 quarts of beef or chicken broth (I use whichever is on hand)
- 1 lb ground beef (can omit for a vegetarian version)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 28 oz can of tomato sauce
- 1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
- 2 medium potatoes, chopped
- about 4 cups mixed vegetables (fresh, frozen, or canned-whatever you have on hand.)
- 1 cup of dried pasta (any shape you have on hand)
- Optional: a handful of chopped fresh basil, stirred in during the last few minutes of cooking
Instructions
- Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add ground beef and onion. Cook until the beef is browned and the onion has softened.
- Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, carrots, potatoes and any other vegetables you are using. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to soften.
- Stir in the pasta and continue cooking for another 15 minutes, or until the pasts and vegetables are tender.
- If using basil, stir in during the last few minutes of cooking. Season with salt and pepper to taste.