An AMERICAN POTAGE

This is a thick soup or stew. The term is from the mid 16th century France.

Rhymes with: garage, frottage and ménage!

 

Slave got to thinking about doing this soup after reading a post that paid homage to the school lunch ladies! My first experience with school cafeterias was in the 5th grade. Mom had landed a job out of collage teaching at a private school. So my brother and I got free tuition. That school was heaven. The kids loved it so much that by an hour after school was over, they had to round up everybody and MAKE them leave! It was there I had my first taste of spinach. To this day, I wish I had their recipe. The closest I can come is like a  STOUFFER'S Spinach Souffle. No lie, half way through lunch, the kids would be lining up to get seconds on the spinach!

Well here we have a soup, or stew if you wish, filled with vegetables and for meat, inexpensive hamburger. What a wonderful hearty hug for your tummy! Give it a shot even if you don't have fond memories of the lunch ladies. This will warm your heart too!

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 c. chopped onions
1 qt. beef broth (low sodium)
1 package frozen mixed vegetables - thawed
2 tsp. Salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
Pinch of basil
1 28 oz. canned diced tomatoes

Directions:

Cut up the onion.

In a dutch oven heat 2 tbs olive oil over medium heat . Crumble the ground beef into this and cook until no pink remains.

Add the chopped onion and stir to cook for about 5 minutes more.

Drain out all but a couple of tbs of fat from the pot. You can use a folded up paper towel to help with this.

Add the beef broth, scraping up any bits from the bottom. 

NOTE: anytime you have something to pour from a box or bottle with the spout that is on one side, Pour with that opening on top! That way air can get in without causing the contents to “glug” and spray over everything!

Add the frozen mixed vegetables and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add the salt & pepper, basil, and Worcestershire sauce. Float a bay leaf on top. Cover and let that simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove the lid and fish out the bay leaf.

Add the tomatoes, recover and let simmer for 10 minutes more.

If you want to freeze this ahead of time, say to take on a camping trip. Make with only 2 cups of beef stock. Let cool completely and put in a zipper bag to freeze. When thawed just add a can of beef broth & heat over an open camp fire, heaven! In fact the frozen bags of stew will keep the drinks cold in the cooler!

Ladle in soup bowls. For Cheeseburger Soup, add grated cheese to each bowl

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Your best key to making good vegetable soup is to freeze any left over vegetables from each meal. Once you have a stack of frozen bags, MAKE a soup! The seasoned leftover veggies add more flavor to the soup, too! You might even add barley, or rice or macaroni elbows. It's Your soup, fix it with things you enjoy.

Such a comforting food to prepare from My Master Indy! :-)

 

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon