Vegetable beef soup

I had some leftover Chuck Roast, and a craving for some soup the other day so I decided to talk to my best friend, google and he told me about this gem of a recipe. :) Little did I know that I was about to get sick and live off this soup for the next week. What was so great about this recipe was that I had all of this in my house.

Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/the-lady-and-sons-beef-vegetable-soup-recipe/index.html

The Lady and Sons Beef Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (if using chuck roast)
• 2 1/2 to 3 pounds beef short ribs or 2 1/2 to 3 pounds bonelesschuck roast* - I used leftover chuck roast and a soup bone
• 4 quarts cold water
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon House Seasoning, recipe follows
• 1 tablespoon seasoned salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon celery salt-did not use
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup sliced green beans, fresh or canned
• 1 cup frozen black-eyed peas- did not use
• 1 cup frozen butter beans-did not use
• 1 cup cut okra, fresh or frozen-did not use
• 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or canned-used frozen
• 1 cup diced potatoes-did not use
• 1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
• Chopped fresh parsley leaves-did not use

Directions

If using chuck roast, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the roast in the skillet and cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the roast from the skillet and cut it into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes; discard the fat. Place the beef cubes in a large stockpot. (If using short ribs, you can put them right in the pot with no preparation).

Add the water, tomatoes, onions, dried parsley, beef bouillon, dried Italian seasoning, House Seasoning, seasoned salt, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, garlic powder, black pepper and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot; reduce the heat so that the liquid simmers, and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. If using short ribs, remove them from the pot and cut the meat from the bones, discard the bones and fat, and return the meat to the pot. Add the remaining vegetables and the macaroni and return the soup to a boil, stirring to distribute the ingredients. Reduce the heat andsimmer for 45 minutes. Just before serving, season with salt and pepper and add fresh chopped parsley. To remove excess fat from the surface of the soup, swirl a lettuce leaf around the surface—it will pick up a lot of the fat.

*The chuck roast will yield more meat, but the bones from the short ribs give the soup an incredible flavor.

House Seasoning:

• 1 cup salt
• 1/4 cup black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Voila!