School Soup Recipe

It's finally been almost chilly here for a few days. So, you know, soup weather! Actually, I have to admit that we eat soup year round in our house. But, we really get to craving it as the weather cools. One of our favorites is a family recipe of mine that we call School Soup.

It's basically a beef and vegetable soup. I really don't know where the name came from. I always thought it was from my great-aunt who had worked as a school cafeteria lady, but I think I was told that was wrong. In any case, it's a wonderfully easy and filling soup that will always be in rotation around here.

The ingredients are pretty basic (not pictured are salt and pepper - they were shy)

Chop the onion and throw it in a LARGE pot with the ground beef. Cook until the beef is brown and cooked through. Drain and return it all to the pot.

Add all the canned vegetables in their liquid.

Add the chopped potatoes along with granulated garlic, salt, and pepper (to taste).

Bring it all to a boil and cook for ten minutes.

Here's the beauty of this recipe...You can shake in some Worcestershire sauce and be done OR you can go the extra mile and add some pasta. We tend to add the pasta. It makes the soup go further and, well, it's pasta! We love us some pasta.

Pour in your pasta (about 1/2 a box) along with 1-2 cups of liquid (water or veg/chicken stock). Bring the soup back to a boil and cook until the pasta is done. Add a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce and stir.

This soup is one of Pat's favorites. And, I had to learn how to make it straight from my grandmother because she was the master of School Soup.


Here are the complete ingredient list and instructions for you.

SCHOOL SOUP

Ingredients:
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 can Diced Tomatoes
1 can Peas
1 can Corn
1 can Lima Beans
1 can Carrots
1 can Green Beans
1 medium Onion, diced
2 small-medium potatoes, diced
Granulated garlic
Salt & Pepper
Worcestershire Sauce

*Optional
1-2 cups of Liquid (water or stock)
8oz. Elbow Macaroni


Instructions:
1. Cook ground beef and onions in a large pot over medium heat until beef is thoroughly browned. Drain and return to pot.
2. Add cans of tomatoes, peas, corn, lima beans, carrots, and green beans to pot with their liquids. Add diced potatoes along with granulated garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir.
3. Bring soup to boil and cook for 10 minutes until hot through.
*4. Optional portion - Add liquid (water or stock) and macaroni. Bring soup back to a boil and cook until macaroni cooked through.
5. Add 2-3 shakes of Worcestershire sauce to soup. Stir. Serve.

This is a totally flexible soup that you could add or subtract from. I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of cooked carrots or of lima beans, but when I left them out; the soup just wasn't right. So, I do add them, but I use small cans of them. Of course, since you've never had it, it would probably taste just fine to you if you left out any of these ingredients.  But, since I grew up on this soup, it didn't taste like home without ALL the vegetables. I hope you enjoy this as much as we do

What's your favorite comfort food when it starts to get cold outside?