Sunday, September 4, 2011

Vegetable Soup

~ An American Classic ~




It is just Labor Day weekend, but late summer will always be a different time of the year for me.
With the passing of Mom (a few weeks ago) and her Mom's (my grandma) passing at the Labor Day weekend a few years ago.
Some days I just shake my head.

Anyway, it's time to get back to life.

On the menu today SOUP, yes, soup! Canning for winter's cold fury.

Vegetable Soup

2 or 3 lb. beef roast,
or equivalent (leftover steak, pot roast,) if it's leftover beef, save it, freeze it, use it.

1 to 2 quarts of water
enough to cover the beef.

Beef base to taste,
start with a couple tablespoons, it's easier to add, than to take away, plus it's wasteful.

1 lb carrots,
cleaned, peeled and sliced, but they taste better if you skip the peeling and just wash them good before you slice them for the pot.

7 or 8 stalks of celery,
washed and chopped.

1 LARGE onion,
peeled and diced, or cut into large wedges. (I like onion), a medium would do.


Small head of cabbage, quartered and chopped.


Love Apples aka tomatoes.
If you have them from the garden, wash, peel, and quarter, about 4 or 5, if you want more, clean more.


Potatoes,
about 5 or 6 depending on the size, cut into bit size pieces.

1 Tablespoon dried parsley


2 or 3 Bay leaves, remove before serving or storing in jars.



How to make it;

With a large 7-8 quart stock pot, cut beef roast or any beef, (other than ground) into chunks, about an inch square.
Put the water (about 6 cups) in pot, along with the beef.
Put the pot on the stove and simmer about 2 hours, this will help the beef to tenderize.
In the meantime, wash, clean and chopped vegetables and add, starting with the carrots and celery, (they take the longest to cook).
Add chopped cabbage, cook until above vegetables are tender, and can be pierced with a fork.
Cabbage take a bit to cook too.
Go ahead, taste it.
Add onion,
Continue to cook the soup, simmering.
Add Bay leaves and dried parsley.
About 15 minutes.
Add tomatoes, if you don't have tomatoes from your garden, a large can of whole tomatoes will work.
Let this simmer another 15 minutes.
Add potatoes, let cook til soft, stick them with a fork, if they don't stay on the fork, they're done.
Now add your beef base (1 Tablespoon) at a time, to much will ruin the soup.
Add dried parsley.

Go ahead and get the ladle, put a bit in a cup, your just tasting it for the family or guests, you would never want to feed them something you wouldn't want to eat.

There is no other spices added to this, you can add them if you need, salt is way over used and isn't that good for you; it's in the processed food we eat everyday.

When all ingredients have been added, with meat tender, vegetables soft. Turn off the pot. Let it set a minute to cool.

Gather everyone and get your bowls. Get ready to hear it's the best soup they've ever eaten.

Serves many.

Add crackers if necessary.

This has always been a staple at Christmas in my Mom's house. I always hoped it was to remind us, that we too, could not have all the things we do and could be alone and eating soup for our holiday meal.


To keep us humble.

God has blessed our family with our Mom, no matter which child your were.



`til next time,

wild clover