Vegetable Beef Soup

I will add a photo the next time I make the soup!

Vegetable Beef Soup

Stock

• 1 to 2 lbs. chuck roast (or similar cut of beef)
• 1 package beef bones*
• 1 onion
• 2 or more carrots 
• bay leaf and peppercorns (optional)

Soup

• soup stock
• chuck roast, cooled and shredded
• 2-14.5 oz. cans of stewed tomatoes**
• carrots, sliced
• potatoes, cut into chunks
• corn, I use one package frozen corn or one can - drained
• green beans, I use one can sliced green beans - drained
• salt and pepper to taste

I like to roast at around 325 degrees the beef bones, the onion, and the carrots used for stock 30 - 60 minutes before starting the stock.  However, my mother never did this and her soup tasted just fine.

Place the bones, chuck roast, onion, and carrots into a large dutch oven or a stock pot.  Cover with water approx. three to six inches or so above the mix.  Add bay leaf and peppercorns if you desire.  Simmer until the chuck roast is tender and falls apart with a fork, at least two hours.  Check off and on as you will have to add more water.

Transfer the meat to a dish and I drain the stock into a dutch oven pot (I use a metal colander).  Discard everything but the meat.

In the dutch oven, add into the stock the two cans of tomatoes, sliced carrots, potatoes, and corn.  Some people like to add a sliced parsnip, too.  I just never have them on hand.  Simmer until veggies are tender, then add back the cooked and shredded meat and the drained can of green beans. Simmer a few minutes longer.

I serve this often the same day I make it, with leftovers the next day.  It is one of those soups that taste even better the next day.  Of course, all amounts can easily be doubled as necessary.

*When I first started making this soup, most chuck roasts at the grocery store still came bone-in.  Then it seems overnight they were all boneless and sometimes you could find packages of bones separately, if you were fortunate.  I talked to the butcher at the store (years ago) and he said most meat sent to stores were now boneless.  The few packages of bones were all there were.

I learned at that time to always keep a couple packages of bones in the freezer for when I wanted to make soup.  However, since the popularity of bone broth began, it is easy to find packages of beef bones.  Only now they cost what I used to spend for steaks!  But bones are important to this soup for flavor as well as nutrition.

**You can use other tomatoes besides stewed tomatoes but I found they are what gave the soup the same taste as my mother's soup she made.  If you don't use stewed tomatoes, you may need to add Italian seasoning or another seasoning you like better.

Lentil soup with bacon

I found a recipe very similar to this on a foodie blog and tweaked it as it now looks.  I love to find new recipes for lentils as well as recipes which use meat as a seasoning... and this one turned out to be delicious.  The leftovers were even better than when it was first served.

2 cups French lentils* (which I had on hand but regular lentils will work just fine)
4 strips bacon, cut into pieces
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, sliced thinly or diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped (more to taste)
6 cups chicken stock or water**
1 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)
salt, pepper (to taste)

Place dutch oven or similar size cooking pot on medium heat.  Cook bacon until the fat is rendered and it is browned (do not drain bacon fat).  Add onion and carrots.  Saute until softer.  Add garlic and lentils... sauteing just until garlic has slightly softened and lentils are covered with bacon fat.  Do be careful as both the garlic and lentils burn easily.  Add the thyme if using.

Cover with stock or water (see below).**   Simmer on low to low-medium heat for a total of one to one and a half hours... adding more water as needed... remember, you do not add all the water at first but as soup thickens and needs more.  You will need to keep an eye on the thickness and stir once in awhile to keep from sticking or scorching.

 *  I love French lentils (the green-ish lentils) for lentil salads but I find with all soups, the brown lentils soften quicker and taste just as good.  I only used them this time as that is what the original recipe called for.

** I used two cans of chicken broth and four cans of water... as that is what I had in the pantry.  I added the two cans of chicken stock and two cans of water first, then added about another two cans of water as the soup thickened.

Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo

This recipe is closely adapted from one in the December-January 2011 issue of Mary Janes Farm magazine.  Of course, as with all soups... this is just a suggestion and you can make it all your own as I did.  :)

I will add a picture soon!

Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo

• 4 1/2 cups chicken broth*
• 3/4 Cup orzo pasta
• 1 Cup shredded or cubed cooked chicken
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 tsp. dried dill (more if you desire) or fresh dill if available
• 1 cup milk** (optional)
• salt and pepper (salt may not be needed if you use a purchased chicken broth)

Bring chicken broth to a strong simmer, almost a boil.  Add the orzo.  Cook five minutes, stirring once in awhile.

Add the chicken, lemon zest, lemon juice, and dill if you use it.  Add milk, slowly simmer for at least 20 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  I like lots of pepper with lemon.

I found this tasted even better when reheated later.

*I made my own stock starting with a whole chicken so I actually had more than 4 1/2 cups as well as more than 1 cup cooked chicken.

**The original recipe called for 2 cups of milk but I only use one.  I also make it without adding the milk.

My favorite chili recipe

Beverly Nye's Chili

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 large can or 2 small cans tomatoes
1 can condensed cream of tomato soup (the original recipe called for 2 cans)
1 tomato soup can of water
1 large can or 2 small cans chili beans
salt, pepper, cumin to taste (original recipe called for chili powder)
(I also like to add a few dashes of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning)

Sprinkle a little salt, pepper, cumin, and Tony C.'s on ground beef and brown in a dutch oven or small stock pot. Even before the ground beef is browned completely, add onion and green pepper and saute until they are somewhat soft. Unless there is a lot of fat left after browning, I leave the drippings in the dutch oven for extra flavor.

Add the can of tomatoes, can of tomato soup, the tomato soup can filled with water, chili beans, and extra water if needed. Simmer on medium about half an hour and taste, add a little water if necessary and adjust seasons with more salt, pepper, and Tony Chachere's if you are using it. (I like it because it adds a little extra flavor when sprinkled lightly on a dish. I have two Midwestern guys who do not like too much of that kind of seasoning.) Simmer on medium about another half an hour or on low if you are serving it much later.

I like to serve it with shredded cheddar cheese on top.