Soup is so nice on a cool fall night, making this a seasonal favorite. Several years ago a friend from church brought this soup over after I had surgery. I requested the recipe and it has been a family favorite ever since. It is so delicious, simple, and nutritious. I always feel good about serving this one to my family. I often serve this with drop biscuits...made with white whole wheat flour and milled flax seed of course.:)
I have tried to make hamburger soup in the crock pot and it turned out okay, but I prefer the flavor of it cooked on the stove. The hamburger had an odd flavor in the crock pot, kind of mushy. Perhaps if cooked for a shorter time it would work better. If you are home, it is just as easy in the pan because it just simmers until you are ready to eat.
Recipe
1 lb lean hamburger, crumbled and browned
3 carrots cut into bite-sized chunks (not too small)*
2 stalks celery chopped**
1/3 c pearl barley
28 oz crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
14.5 oz diced tomatoes***
2 cubes beef bouillon
1-2 bay leaves
1 tsp basil
pepper
3-5 c water
1 T milled flax seed (You could leave this out, but why not give it a try?)
Bring everything to a boil in a large pot, reduce to simmer and cover for one hour, or when carrots are tender.
Additional Notes
*I often use baby carrots cut in half or thirds.
**If your family doesn't like to eat celery, don't skip it all together as it adds so much flavor. Instead, add the stalks cut in half and fish them out before serving. The diced celery does soften quite a bit when cooked, but if you have a family member that will notice this dreaded vegetable in their soup, this is a good option.
***I have used all tomato sauce if that is what I have and it turns out great.
****Zucchini is a great addition to this soup if you have some in the freezer from your garden. About one cup of chunks or shredded is perfect.
"A family member that will notice this dreaded vegetable in his soup."
ReplyDeleteThat's me!!
I never knew you did that, and I have always liked this soup.
So my recommendation to your readers: Do whatever she says.
You discovered my secret! I need to be careful what I share knowing you read even the footnotes of my recipes.:)
ReplyDeleteCould you share your recipes for "drop biscuits"? I currently make a lot about 75% of our bread and can whip up a nice set of rolls in about 2 hours but I'd love a great recipe for biscuits made with whole wheat. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI would love to share that, Colette. I will post it soon.:)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you shared this one!! Thanks for being a part of the countdown to 2012!
ReplyDelete