Mmm, there's something so amazingly comforting about a homemade soup or stew. As the temps drop and fall settles in, now is the perfect time to start experimenting and making new healthy versions for your family. Today's post features a recipe that we just threw together in hopes that it would turn out delish...and it did! I googled a ton of different veal soup recipes and found none that suited our needs and ingredient list. So I just made up my own!
I think that's the beauty of soup, you really can just throw it all in there. Read on for the recipe and a step-by-step tutorial. Again, this can be made with any sort of meat...it's just a really basic and yummy soup that's even better the second day, promise!
PS - Remember, if you have other hearty vegetables, use them! Use up that produce drawer and just throw in whatever you have...experimenting in the kitchen when you make your own soup is where it's at!
Healthy and Hearty Meat Soup
Ingredients:
1 lb. thawed meat cut into 1-1 1/2 inch chunks
1 cup of celery, chopped into chunks
1 cup carrots, chopped into chunks
1 whole onion, chopped into chunks
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped potatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
4 whole garlic bulbs
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp savory
32 oz. of any broth
Directions:
Heat olive oil in large pot on medium-high heat. Brown your meat chunks until all sides are cooked/browned. Remove chunks from pot and place aside then add chopped onion to pot. Saute until onions are just tender and all meat browning scraps are scraped from the pot and added into sauted onion mixture. You want that yummy browned goodness mixed in. Add in broth, diced tomatoes garlic bulbs and re-add meat chunks to your onion mixture. Turn your soup down and simmer for 45 minutes. DO NOT BOIL!
Add vegetables and simmer for 45 minutes more, until all veggies are tender but not falling apart. If you're in a hurry (like we were) you can remove meat chunks and boil soup to tenderize added veggies. This saves about 30 minutes of cooking time. Add meat chunks back in at that end and put soup on low for 5 minutes before serving to re-heat meat chunks. Serve soup warm with any toppings you favor...we chose sour cream.
Scored some veal chunks on super sale so they've just been in our freezer, awaiting soup making weather. It finally arrived this week in Austin, yay!
On meat that's pre-cut into stew/soup sized chunks there's usually an explanation on how to use the meat. We love always reading their descriptions because they always have a great reminder (ie: do not boil or meat will toughen.) You can also ask the butcher about his favorite way to prepare any meat you purchase...they're such a great recipe resource at my local market.
See ya, celery...
Buh-bye fresh carrots...
And peace out, potatoes! You're going in my soup, yo!
Spices (I also added a bit of savory too), canned diced tomatoes and a whole onion...
And...I'm crying, always! I really do need those onion goggles or I just need to cut up a lemon.
Browning the veal chunks in 2 tbsp. olive oil.
Set aside after browning process is done.
Cut up onions and stir, stir, stir. Getting all those little browned bits off the pan!
Adding in an entire package of chicken broth...while spilling it all over the counter too (on the left, ha!)
Four lil' garlic bulbs in the pot.
Simmering with meat added back in.
Added the vegetables and removed meat...or do the smart thing and remove meat chunks first and then add vegetables so you don't have to be fishing around for five minutes, like I was!
Meat chunks set aside till boiling is done.
Our yummy dinner! We just added bread and butter on the side since this really is a meal in a bowl.
And I love to top a hearty soup with a dollop of sour cream too...YUMMERS!
Take a minute and check out our other awesome weekly recipe re-caps we've featured so far: Easy and Healthy Banana Whip Dessert, Bon Appetit's Strawberry, Lemon and Basil Flavored Soda, Momma's Breakfast Strata, Quick and Easy Shredded Chicken and Black Olive Enchiladas, Yo Momma Blind Man Barbecue Chicken, Real Simple's Yellow Cake with Fresh Strawberry Filling and Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting, Banana Bread, Linguine with Zucchini and Chickpeas, Homemade Ziti, Creamy Fettuccine With Corn and Arugula, Maple BBQ Turkey Sloppy Joe's, BHG's Greek Spinach Veggie Burgers, Mark Bittman's Chicken in a Pot, My Momma's Monkey Bread, CC Hubby's Easy Chicken Parmesan, Sophie Dahl's Chicken Stew with Green Olives and Asparagus/Edamame Salad, Ryan's Poached Egg Breakfast Ramekin Surprise, Momma's Homemade Chili, Christina's Paprika Chicken, Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Dog Treats, Momma's Crockpot Pot Roast, Vanessa Barrington's Almond Milk, Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie, Sweet Frozen Lime Slices, Amy's Awesome Homemade Pizza Crust, Brownie Caramel (Pecan) Cake, Papa Horner's Grill Top Paella, What's New Cupcake's Chocolate Chunk Surprise, Green Monster Smoothie, Bacon/Onion Compote Served on Crostini with Gruyere, Eat Clean's Meal in a Bowl Soup, Elie Krieger's Thai-Style Halibut with Coconut Curry Broth, Williams Sonoma's Cauliflower with Orange Zest and Green Onion, Williams Sonoma's Summer Fruit Parfaits, Williams Sonoma's Grilled Beef Fillets with Mushrooms and Red Wine Sauce, Eat Clean's Tam's Constitutional Muffins, Healthy for Life's Stuffed Peppers, Mango, Dill and Cilantro Gazpacho, Women's Health Curried Sweet Potato and Chickpea Stew, Real Simple's Vegetarian Tacos, Aunt Beth's Pineapple Souffle, 15 Minute Cream Biscuits, Sunset Magazine's North Indian Style Spinach Chicken, Mrs. O'Callaghan's Soda Bread, Jordan's Momma's Quiche Lorraine, Shelby's Leek and Lima Bean Soup, Rosemary Grilled Kabobs, Homemade Tomato Soup, Easy Fruit Cobbler, Macho Man Meatballs, Super Bowl Dip Trio, Nana's No Bake Cheesecake, Rum Cake and Microwave Spiced Nuts.
