This soup has great fame and lasting power in our house. I created it as a 20-something year old new housewife throwing random things into a pot in my old yellow kitchen. I knew not then what I was creating. It was only a decade or so later that my son declared my fame.
My little golden boy: “Mom, is this YOUR OWN recipe?!”
Self: “Yes,” with a little smile and the air of a woman who fields myriad questions throughout the day.
Boy: “Whoaa. You should be FAMOUS! This is the best soup ever!!!”
I know, I know, many a little boy has uttered such words to his mother who blushed with delight for having grown a male child who was so adept as to give her a compliment… It was a happy moment.
Now, he is ten and everyone in the family has taken to extolling the virtues of this soup.
I make a huge pot of it and after we eat the first time from it, I store it in the fridge in half gallon mason jars and I heat 1-2 at lunch everyday and we have wholesome food in five minutes.
Sometimes I serve it with saltines, or fresh bread and butter… today it was with grilled cheese. Always well recieved.
Famous Vegetable Beef Stew
1.5-2 lbs stew meat, trimmed and cut in small chunks
2 Tbsp oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped sweet pepper (optional)
4 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
6-8 cups liquid (mostly broth or vegetable juice is delicious)
Spices:
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1.5 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
Ideas for vegetables:
3 large carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup corn
1 can green beans with liquid
1 can diced tomatoes with liquid
Starch:
3 large potatoes, chunked
Cauliflower florets (great for low-carb)
1 cup precooked rice, barley, quinoa, etc.
Directions:
In a large pot, brown stew meat in oil. Add onions, peppers, and garlic toward the end.
Stir in liquid, spices, and vegetables.
Bring to a boil, then simmer until thickest vegetables are tender.
Ladle over rice or noodles in bowls.
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