Veggie Beef Soup

This is going to seem like the recipe that would never end, but I promise you it is so good.  Let me give a little back story before I get to the recipe.

First of all we are moving again, yes you read that right.  If you have read my blog you know we moved in May of this year and in August of this year, and now we will be moving at the end of this month.  The difference is, this move is across states.  We are moving 8 hours north into yankee country.  Just thinking about all the packing I need to be doing makes me want to take a nap.

I have acquired a bit of a stockpile from my couponing efforts.  Had I known earlier we would be moving I would have cut back on stocking up and focused more on eating what we already have.  Never the less over the last week I have been taking inventory of what we have in our freezers and pantry and have tried to come up with recipes to maximize my usage of these ingredients. 

I thought veggie soup was the perfect way to get rid of some of the canned vegetables we have, since it seems we can't eat them fast enough as just a side dish on their own.  Hence the many many ingredients in this recipe.  Now one thing I have learned over the years of trying recipes, is if you don't have some of the ingredients either leave them out or substitute it for something you do have.  Most of the time it won't ruin the recipe, just might give it a little different flavor, look, taste, etc.

Veggie Beef Soup

(I didn't technically use ground beef, I used ground deer meat, but you could use any kind of ground meat you have in your fridge or freezer)

1lb ground beef

2 carrots sliced (or 1 can carrots)

2 celery stalks chopped

1 clove garlic chopped

2 potatoes chopped

1 can corn

1 can peas

1 can tomato soup (could use tomato sauce or paste)

2 t beef boullion granules

2 cans diced tomatoes

1/2 soup can water

1T sugar

1 large (28oz) can tomato juice

1 onion chopped

1/2 t parsley

salt and pepper to taste

brown meat in a skillet with 1/2 the chopped onion, salt and pepper, until cooked through, drain.  Add all ingredients to a large pot and heat on med - med/high until potatoes and carrots are tender.

This makes quite a bit of soup. We ate it for about 4 days but it was a perfect cold winter's night meal, and BONUS Grant actually got some veggies in his little belly.  What is it with kids not wanting to eat their veggies anyway??