Mom's Old Style Beef Vegetable Soup
1 large onion peeled and halved
2 large carrots washed and halved
3 cloves garlic peeled
1 large bay leaf
4-5 celery tops with stalk
1 tsp peppercorns
1 340ml can V8 juice
1 litre canned tomatoes
1 large onion diced
4 large celery stalks diced
4-5 med large carrots peeled & diced
3 medium potatoes peeled & diced
1 1/2 cups corn
1 1/2 cups green peas
1 1/2 cups green beans cut into pieces
1 tsp pepper
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt to taste
(additional seasonal vegetables like swiss chard or kohlrabi can be added - whatever you like)
Preheat oven to 400º. Spray bottom of large stock pot with cooking spray. Place beef into stock pot (make sure it has no plastic or wooden handles) and roast in oven uncovered for 1 hour. Remove from oven and drain off any fat. Fill pot 3/4 full with cold water. Add ingredients 2 - 7 and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and keep at a slow simmer for approximately four hours or until meat is very tender. If water falls below the half way mark add a little more. Strain broth, reserving meat and discarding bones and vegetables. If you’ve got chickens give the vegetables to them. Pour stock back into pot. Add meat and remaining ingredients except peas. Simmer for approximately 1 hour. Add peas and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes. Makes a lot of soup but freezes very well. Worth the effort. A healthy and hearty meal.