The funny thing about food is that eating a meal can take you back to a time and place. It can take you to an exact moment, or it can just remind you of home, or of a simpler time. That is what this soup is to me. It doesn’t remind me of a specific day, but it reminds me of growing up, and spending time at my grandmas. My sister and I spent a lot of time there when we were young, because both of our parents worked full time. We would ride the bus to grandmas after school, or we would stay with her if my parents were out of town, and you know grandmas…there is always a ‘special’ treat prepared when you visit. Our grandma made pies, and fried chicken, or ‘runny’ Martha Gooch Macaroni and Cheese (my personal favorite). But the times I remember most are when she was just cooking something SHE wanted. I could watch her make noodles for hours, steal and eat too much raw dough, or just find something to reheat that she had made for herself. Most often it was some kind of heartwarming soup- 8 out of 10 times; it was Vegetable.

Vegetable soup is her favorite, and now that I have come really close to a recreation, I can see why. She has told me before “Vegetable is my favorite, but if I have some ground beef, I might throw that in too.” Grandma grew up poor, and The Great Depression only made it worse. One batch of this soup can easily feed a family of 10 for pennies. I can’t help but wonder if this kind of soup is something she grew up with, and today gives her that reminder of home. And just maybe if they had beef to throw in growing up, that meant they had a great day picking cotton. So when I made this for Birdbelly husband last Sunday, I felt like I was giving him a piece of her history.

I hope you enjoy this nostalgic recipe: Vegetable Beef Soup!

Adapted from my first Cookbook: “New Cook Book” by Better Homes and Gardens Here

Inspired by Grandma

The Process:

In a Large Dutch oven (I used 6 quart-no smaller) brown the beef with salt/pepper/garlic powder – to taste. You will be seasoning the soup as well so no need to over season here.

Remove the beef from the pot to drain leaving approx. 2 tablespoons of grease in the pot. Add in the flour and dry seasonings. Stir until you no longer see the white of the flour. Then add in the broth, beef, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover for 40 minutes.

When I cook in the kitchen, it looks like a tornado went through it. All of the cabinets are open, wrappers, containers, and utensils are all over the place. So I take this time to clean up after myself and reset my kitchen.

NEXT: Prep your veggies. Wash, peel, and cube the potatoes- approx. ½ inch pieces. Peel and chop the carrots, chop the celery, and dice your onion, finely chop or mince the garlic.

When your broth is ready, remove the Bay leaf. Then add in potato, corn, tomatoes, green beans, garlic, onion, celery, and carrot.

Bring to a boil- STIR CAREFULLY! I filled my top to the tippy top! Reduce to a simmer, and cover for 25 minutes until the veggies are tender.

Serve with cornbread! For cornbread, I just use the recipe on the back of the Quaker Yellow Corn Meal canister. Enjoy!

Recipe: