
Kim Spiezio
A "Souper" Friend's Italian Beef and Vegetable Recipe:
Updated: Feb 20, 2020
This soup was given to me by a very good friend upon the birth of my daughter in April of 1993... it was so yummy that I asked for the recipe and have been delivering it for move-ins and meal trains and have been serving to loved ones in my kitchen ever since.
I make a double batch to freeze or give away in containers to my kids as they head back to their homes now that they are grown. It is a huge hit when you bring it in a crock pot to a gathering. Sides of pasta and parmesan cheese make it a fun and hearty crowd-pleaser!
Helpful hints:
Cook the pasta on the side and serve it separately to accommodate those doing the Keto diet or some other low carb diet.
Another reason to keep the pasta on the side is that the soup freezes so much better when the noodles aren't in it. I like a nice "al-dente"** noodle... the pasta absorbs too much liquid if it sits in the soup too long. No one likes a mushy noodle!
I use bone broth to add extra protein. You don't even need the noodles to have a filling meal.
Italian Vegetable Soup:
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 cup diced onions
1 cup celery
1 cup sliced carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (16oz) tomatoes
1 can (15oz) tomato sauce
1 can (15oz0 red kidney beans, undrained
1 (32 oz) container bone broth
1 TBL beef bouliion base or one boullion cube
1 TBL parsley flakes
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups shredded cabbage (optional)
1 cup green beans, ends snipped, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup elbow macaroni (cooked separately, as a garnish)
parmesan cheese (as a garnish)
Brown beef in a large heavy kettle; drain. In a large pot, add all ingredients except cabbage, green beans and macaroni. Bring to a boil. Lower heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add cabbage and green
beans; bring to a boil and simmer until vegetables are tender. Boil the elbow macaroni separately until "al dente".** If your prefer a thinner soup, add water or broth. Mix in some macaroni if desired and sprinkle with parmesan cheese before serving.
** "Al dente": In cooking, a term meaning cooked to be firm to the bite. The etymology is Italian "to the tooth".