Simple Vegetable Beef Soup

 I have a confession.  Sometimes I over complicate things.  As a food blogger I'm always trying to reinvent the wheel, come up with the next great thing, etc that sometimes I lose sight of what makes a great recipe great.  Take this Simple Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe.  

The other day I was watching either TikTok or YouTube, maybe Instagram, one of those, and someone was making vegetable beef soup. I was reminded of my dad making this regularly for us with peanut butter sandwiches.  Immediately I craved it, and knew I wanted to share it on The Kitchen Wife.  What makes this recipe different from the one I grew up on is the tomato base.  Instead of using diced tomatoes (my husband doesn't care for them) or tomato juice, I'm going to use a pantry staple most of us have on hand.  It really adds a lot of great flavor that will have everyone saying "What is that special something you in this?"  I can't wait to share it with you so...

Let's Get Started!

WHAT YOU NEED FOR THIS RECIPE:

• 1 lb. of Ground Meat
• 1 Onion, diced
• 1 Bell Pepper, diced
• 2 Stalks of Celery, diced
• 1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
• 4 Potatoes, diced
• 1 (12 oz) bag of Frozen Mixed Vegetables
• 6 cups Beef Broth
• 1 (19 oz) Can of Tomato Soup (I used Progresso)
• 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp Natures Seasoning
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper

DO I HAVE TO USE GROUND BEEF:

No, you don't.  You can substitute any ground meat you choose.  For example my family uses ground Beyond Meat, but ground turkey, chicken, or pork work also.  

CAN THIS BE MADE PLANT-BASED?

Absolutely!  Just a few simple swaps will make this a WONDERFUL plant-based option.  

• 1 lb. of Ground Plant Meat Meat
• 1 Onion, diced
• 1 Bell Pepper, diced
• 2 Stalks of Celery, diced
• 1 Tbsp Garlic, minced 
• 4 Potatoes, diced
• 1 (12 oz) bag of Frozen Mixed Vegetables
• 6 cups No-Beef Broth or Vegetable Broth
• 1 (19 oz) Can of Tomato Soup (I used Progresso)
• 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp Natures Seasoning
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper

DO I HAVE TO USE NATURE'S SEASONING?

Nature's seasoning is a spice blend that I discovered around Christmas time.  In essence it's an all purpose seasoning that packs A LOT of flavor.  If you don't have it, or can't find it, simply use these spices in it's place.

• 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp Onion Powder
• 1/4 tsp Seasoning Salt
• 1/4 tsp Paprika

CAN I USE CANNED OR FRESH VEGETABLES?

Yes.  Either will work. 

If using canned maybe add the last 10 minutes of cooking to prevent them from becoming too mushy.

HERE IS HOW I MAKE IT: