Hamburger Vegetable Soup

Serves 4

This is a recipe my mother made when she wanted a quick vegetable soup. It is very good and easy, even though there are a lot of ingredients. Like many soups, this one is even better the next day so it can be made up to three days ahead, perhaps on a weekend, and refrigerated to serve on a busy weeknight. For an equally delicious soup based on this recipe, see my turkey vegetable soup in the similar and related recipes links.

Ingredients

• Olive oil, about 1 tablespoon
• 1 pound ground beef, chuck or lean sirloin
• 1 medium onion, diced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 can (14.5-ounces) whole tomatoes, broken up, with juice
• 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 4 cups water
• Dehydrated beefy onion soup mix, optional (see notes below)
• 2 packages (16-ounces each) frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 can (8-ounces) whole kernel corn
• 1 can (8-ounces) lima beans

• 1 can (15 or 16-ounces) chickpeas
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat just enough oil to prevent sticking in large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and brown, breaking apart as cooking. Add onions and sauté about 2 or 3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, garlic and oregano and sauté another minute. Add the tomatoes, broth and water; bring to a boil and add the onion mix. Stir well to combine. Add the remaining vegetables; bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook about 45 minutes. Taste for additional seasoning. Pass cheese separately.

Notes: If you use canned beef broth, you probably will not need the onion soup mix. Mom sometimes used chicken broth then tasted the soup to determine if it needed the extra flavor. She either added a whole envelope or a partial amount and, occasionally, none. When she was very busy, and before fresh garlic was widely available, she used garlic powder. Go easy on the added salt since canned broth and onion soup mix, even the so-called lower sodium varieties, are high in sodium. This soup freezes very well.