Vegetable Beef Soup

I am back to posting after a rough period of no cooking while my husband was very sick with a stomach virus. I am very glad things are back to normal now.

I know I am posting a lot of soups and slow cooker recipes, but this is the time of year when I make a lot of those, so you'll see less of those when winter is over.

Vegetable Beef Soup

(Slow Cooker)

Ingredients

1 lb. of lean beef cut into small cubes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

4 cups beef broth

1  16 oz. can tomato sauce

1/2 tablespoon basil

½ cup Worcestershire sauce

1 beef bouillon cube

1 bay leaf

3 decent sized potatoes, peeled, cut into small cubes

1 large onion, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1  (16 oz.) bag frozen mixed vegetables (including carrots, corn, & green beans)

Onion powder, salt, and pepper (to taste)

Directions

In a stockpot, brown beef in olive oil, adding garlic during last few minutes of browning.

While beef is browning, put chopped and peeled potatoes, chopped onion, chopped celery, and mixed vegetables to slow cooker.

When beef is browned, add into the stockpot the beef broth, bullion, tomato sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, and bring to a boil.

Add basil, if desired, and then bay leaf. Other seasonings may also be added at this time (a pinch of oregano, a dash of garlic or onion powder, salt and pepper, etc -season to taste).

Pour the beef and broth mixture over the vegetables in the slow cooker and stir well. Set to high, and leave to simmer for about 4-5 hours or set to low and cook 8-10 hours.

Remove bay leaf before serving.