Don's Guaranteed Vegetable Soup

Don D · January 2004

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 02-04-04 AT 07:53AM (CST)[/font][br][br][font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 01-30-04 AT 05:06 PM (CST)[/font]

Unlike January Soup, posted elsewhere, this one is a bit more straightforward. It's also failsafe, tastes like a million bucks and is really simple. Raise your popularity in the kitchen this weekend with this.

1.5 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves pressed (peel, smash, dice)
1 (30 oz) jar chunky spaphetti sauce with mushrooms and peppers.
1 (10.5 oz) can beef broth, undiluted
2 cups water
1 cup sliced and diced celery
1 tsp salt
1.2 tsp pepper
I lb. bag frozen mixed vegetables or you can substitute gumbo veggie's in the frozen case.
1 (10 oz) can ROTEL diced tomatoes and green chiles (spicy and optional)
1 (16 oz) can peeled baby new potatoes

DIRECTIONS:

Cook first 3 ingredients in large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat, stirring until meat is crumbled and no longer pink. Drain and return to Dutch oven or pot.

Add spaghetti sauce and next 6 ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, simmer, stirring often, for 20 minutes.

Stir in Rotel, mixed vegetables and potatoes; return to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Prep time 10 min., Cook time 32 min.,Yield: 12 cups. Serve with saltines, Ritz crackers, Waverly Wafers or Cornbread.

Note: Double recipe if temperature is 24 or below.

ritaanz · January 2004

Sounds great. I'll be sure to have my husband try it. x:D

mcmel · January 2004

Drane? Is that a clever test for us?

Don D · January 2004

Sorry...I was into Soup, not spellcheck.

mcmel · January 2004

I thought you were being clever, MY BAD. x;)

HRinNH · February 2004

Don, in your last line of instructions you wrote to "stir in Rotel, mixed vegetables and potatoes..." I don't see mixed vegetables in your list of ingredients. Is this a type-o or did you put some other veggies in the soup?

Don D · February 2004

HR: You know, I could say "Look back at the recipe", or I could say "I did that to see if you were paying attention". Or, I could tell the truth and say I left the veggies entirely off the list in my posted recipe. I'm glad you caught that. Wonder if anybody made the soup and added veggies without knowing how many or what kind to add. This proves SOME people, unlike me, DO read recipes. Thanks. x:o

safety · February 2004

Ah come on Don, you do to read some, you replied, "send trout, we don't have them."

Just to let you know, and I think you already know, just about any fresh water, fresh caught fish will taste great if fixed as I described so in reallity you don't need trout although what a tasty treat if you do have them!

HRinNH · February 2004

Before HR, my first line of work is Admin.Asst. So I tend to be too literal at times. Anyway, I'm planning to try your recipe as soon as I get back from Maine this weekend.
Cheers!

HRinNH · April 2004

I never did tell you about when I tried the recipe. It was cold outside and I was in no mood to brainstorm for dinner so there I was looking for something to fix for supper and your recipe fell out of my recipe cupboard (yes, over the stove and jam packed with printed recipes).

I went to the pantry and freezer to gather the ingredients. I don't do real beef so I used a bag of the Green Giant veggie burger crumbles. It worked out just fine and everyone loved it. Thanks Don!

Cheryl C.

safety · April 2004

"I don't do real beef" x:o

Don D · April 2004

I guess fish or pork would work, sorta. Or venison, or squirrel. Glad it turned out.

HRinNH · April 2004

Not for me sorry. I like Morningstar Farms, Green Giant, or Boca burger crumbles. No grease and much less fat. The flavor is good too! Everyone that tried it (family and co-workers who eat beef) liked it and I didn't even tell them that it wasn't real beef. Sneeky, huh?

Whirlwind · February 2004

I must admit I thought the recipe as originally stated was a little short on vegetables to be called vegetable soup .... but was secretly glad to see that someone other than me thinks of Rotel tomatoes and spaghetti sauce as major members of the vegetable family.

I've got another delicious and super-easy soup recipe to post in the next few days, or as soon as I can find it. Stay tuned.

TN HR · February 2004

Fantastic! Had nasty weather here in TN over the weekend and my wife and I had this for a meal several times

BTW Don, it WAS below 24 and I did double it!

Gene

AnneLa · March 2004

Don,

Thanks for the recipe. It was down in the low 30's this weekend, chilly, misty, and this soup was a real warmer....... I never thought of using spaghetti sauce as a base for a soup before. Thanks again....

lharper · April 2004

Could you recommend a specific spagetti sauce you like with this soup? There are a million of them and I'm not familiar with any of them. The wrong one would really change the taste of the soup. Thanks.

Don D · April 2004

I've probably used them all, with satisfaction. Frankly I buy whichever one comes in the glass jar that I think we can use as a container of some sort when empty. Just make sure it's called 'chunky' and has plenty of mushrooms and peppers and other assorted good things. Since it's simply tomato-paste based anyway, it's not gonna matter what name brand you pick.

lharper · April 2004

Thanks - making it this weekend! By the way, you're a hoot! Have a great day!

HRinNH · December 2004

Yep, it's that time again to have some hot soup for the family 2-3 times a week. This recipe remains one of our favorites though it has evolved somewhat in the Cardenas Home.

I no longer put in the potatoes because, frankly, I've forgotten to buy them and find that it's just as tasty without them. I've been using Sofrito instead of the onion and garlic. I think the extra ingredients give it a nice flavor. x:9

We've had it with bread and biscuits but yet to try it with corn bread. That's next time.

Thanks again, Don.

Don D · December 2004

Tell me what Sofrito is and where it can be found and I'll give it a try.

TN HR · December 2004

I think you make it. I dated a girl from Cuba and she introduced me to it. I think it's a mixture of garlic, onion, cilantro, peppers and I think green olives. It's kinda like pesto, kicked up a notch.

HRinNH · December 2004

Goya does sell a Sofrito but I think they put tomatoe in theirs and I don't. You can buy it in either bottles or in a frozen white tub.

I make my own but it's not my favorite chore so I make a whole lot at one time and portion it in small Tupperware containers and freeze it.

1 whole bunch celery washed with leaves in tact
2 bunches of fresh cilantro
4-6 large onions
6-8 large green peppers
4-6 large red peppers
2 whole bulbs worth of peeled garlic or more if you like a lot of garlic like I do

Optional ingredients could include jalapenos or other peppers sold in your area. I never heard of adding olives.

I chunk cut everything into a huge bowl and then start whizzing in my food processor until it's in small chunks, not liquid. I mix everything well and then divide into separate containers.

I put it into everything needing a little kick...scrambled eggs, rice, soups, beans, stews and any meat dishes.

Buen provecho!

AnneLa · March 2005

Tried this once again over the weekend and the kids just LOVE it!

Don's Guaranteed Vegetable Soup

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