Easy Beef Vegetable Soup

You could use just beef, but the depth of flavor increases with the addition of sausage. I make this soup quite often in the cooler months.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 lb sweet Italian sausage not links
1 large onion chopped
3 medium carrots chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
1 bulb garlic minced (yes, a whole bulb)
3 tsp Italian seasoning
2 tsp granulated garlic
1 1/2 - 2 tsp salt or more to taste
black pepper to taste
8 cups chicken broth
4 cups crushed tomatoes could also use marinara, which is delicious
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 lb potatoes chopped into 1/2” cubes
4 cups vegetables* see Notes
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
freshly grated parmesan for serving

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Sauté beef and sausage until barely cooked through. Take care to not crumble the meat too much, some larger pieces are nice in the soup.
Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.
In the meat drippings, sauté onions, carrots, and celery for several minutes, until almost tender. Add fresh garlic, Italian seasoning, granulated garlic, salt, and pepper. Sauté 1 minute longer.
Add broth, tomatoes, cooked meat, bay leaf, and any firm vegetables you are using such as potatoes or winter squash. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir in remaining tender vegetables (except parsley). Simmer 20 minutes longer, or until all of the veggies are tender.
Stir in parsley, taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt if needed and serve warm with freshly grated parmesan.

Notes

* Vegetables - you decide! Peas, corn, green
beans, kale, spinach, zucchini, winter squash,
frozen mixed vegetables, etc. Sky is the limit! Be
as creative or traditional as you’d like. I like that I
am able to feature nearly every vegetable we
grow in this soup.