Vegetable Soup

The air conditioning is off, the windows are open, and for two days we walked around in sweatshirts and jeans. It's warmed back up into the 70's now, but for those two days nothing sounded better than a big pot of soup. I absolutely love this recipe for vegetable soup. (Thanks, Mom!) It shames that condensed junk in a can and (the best part for me) doesn't kick up my tomato allergy. Plus there is cabbage in it and I loooove cabbage!

Because of my allergy I don't add chopped tomatoes and use tomato sauce instead of paste. Something about how long the sauce is cooked makes it safe for me to eat. Feel free to add a big can of tomatoes or a few chopped fresh!

You will need:

2 pounds super trim beef for stew (optional)
one packet Lipton onion soup
5 cups water
2 small cans tomato sauce
2 chopped potatoes (medium to small size)
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
2 medium chopped onions
6 beef bullion cubes
1/2 tsp celery salt
2 shakes Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
2 cans green beans (with juice)
2 bay leaves
1 cup okra
1 can corn (with juice)
1 small head of cabbage, chopped

This recipe is great without meat, but if you want to add meat:

Add 2 pounds stew meat to crock pot and sprinkle Lipton soup on top.



Add enough water to cover (about 5 cups).



Cook on high for five hours or low for eight. Then transfer meat to a large pot on the stove. (If you don't use meat just add the Lipton to the 5 cups of water in a large pot on the stove. Bring to a boil.)



Gather your other ingredients.



Onions should be in the next picture. They hide in a different drawer from the rest of the veggies and I always forget to take them out until I am ready to chop them up.



Chop up carrots, potatoes, and celery.



Add to the pot along with the tomato sauce. (Do not add okra, corn, or cabbage yet.)





Then the bullion cubes...



and the green beans. Do not drain the beans.



Toss in the bay leaves, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for at least 3 hours. Stir every now and again. The longer you cook the better, as long as you aren't boiling the soup the whole time. You don't want the veggies to turn to mush.



One hour before you are ready to serve the soup, add the okra, corn,



and cabbage.



Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook uncovered for a full hour.

Now you are ready to feast!



This soup is even better the next day and will keep for four days in the fridge. If you want to freeze it, pour into a freezer bag, seal, and lay the bag flat in the freezer. The soup freezes quickly that way and is easy to store. It will keep for a good six months that way.



*note: With the addition of the Worcestershire sauce, bullion, and canned veggies I do not add extra salt. Taste, taste, taste before adding any salt. If the idea of the sodium in bullion worries you, then add reduced or no-sodium canned veggies. But remember that fresh veggies (especially potatoes and tomatoes) soak up a lot of salt. You don't want bland vegetable soup.

Enjoy!!