Vegetable Soup Week

Vegetable Soup Week

This week is vegetable soup week here at the farm. I like to use the frozen vegetables from the farm in all my soups especially these two recipes; Vegetable Beef Soup and Italian Garden Vegetable Soup. In my cookbook I include a chapter called Canning and Preserving. This chapter includes the Basics of Canning; Preserving by Freezing and Drying Herbs. I have received many comments on how wonderful both of these soups are (one is with meat and one is a vegetarian soup). The V-8 juice makes this vegetable soup stand out from all others, especially when made with homemade V-8 juice.

Vege­table Beef Soup

Makes:8-10 servings Prep Time: 5 hours

2 pounds beef Chuck or English roast

48 ounces V-8 or tomato juice

2 Tbls beef base

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 cups water

Wash Roast. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Brown both sides in a skillet. Put in a large roasting pan. Add vegetable juice, beef base, water and garlic. Roast in a preheated oven covered at 325 degrees for 3-4 hours. When meat is pull apart ten­der, remove from oven and put on top of stove. Add whatever vegetables you desire. Cook until vegetables are done. Pull meat into pieces. You can also cook in the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours but start the vegetables with the meat on top. You will still need to brown the meat.

Italian Garden Vegetable Soup

Makes: 4-6 servings Prep Time: 45 minutes

2 cups tomatoes, diced

4 cups water

¼ cup vegetable base

1 clove garlic, diced

½ cup onion, diced

¼ cup parsley, fresh, chopped

1 teaspoon oregano, dried

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, dried

3 whole potatoes, diced

1 large carrot, diced

1 cup green beans, fresh or frozen

1 cup corn; fresh or frozen

1 1/2 cups brussels sprouts; frozen

1 whole zucchini, diced

Bring tomatoes, water and vegetable base to a boil; add garlic, onion, parsley, oregano, Italian seasonings, carrots, potatoes, brussels sprouts and green beans; simmer until they are tender. Once potatoes, carrots, brussels sprouts and green beans are tender add the zucchini and corn.

I use this recipe a lot in the winter time with the frozen vegetables from my summer garden; frozen tomatoes, brussels sprouts, green beans, onions & zucchini. I also use my dried herbs from the garden (the Italian Seasoning Mix in the Farm to Fork Chapter).

If you are interested in purchasing my cookbook it is available on Amazon.com or by notifying me on my blog