Homemade Vegetable Soup With V8 Juice

Pot of delicious vegetable soup

Nothing is more comforting than coming in from the outdoors on a cold, winter day and having a big pot of homemade vegetable soup bubbling on the kitchen stove. A variety of vegetables with enough beef stock for flavoring will give you plenty of antioxidants to keep you healthy. Add a heaping helping of love and V-8 juice, and you'll have all you need to stay warm. This recipe may be refrigerated or frozen to enjoy later.

Ingredients

You'll need one pound of ground beef, one large can of V-8 juice, one finely chopped onion, three diced carrots, two diced potatoes, one 14-oz. can of whole yellow corn, one 14-oz. can of cut green beans, one cup of water, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and salt to taste.

Preparation

Crumble the ground beef and cook in a large skillet until it turns brown. Drain the grease in a colander.

Mix Ingredients

Pour the drained ground beef into a large stock pot. Pour the V-8 juice into the pot and add the water. Bring to a boil. Add the chopped onions, diced carrots and diced potatoes. Bring to a boil again. Pour the canned corn and green beans into the pot. Add the Worcestershire sauce and salt. Reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for an hour.

Variations and Additions

Sauté the onions with the ground beef for a slightly different flavor. If you have celery in your produce bin, add chopped celery. Other seasonings you may add include a dash of ginger, nutmeg or cinnamon. To thicken the broth and give it a slightly sweeter flavor, add a large can of creamed corn. You may also add canned peas, canned diced tomatoes or canned okra. For additional protein, include a can of your favorite beans. Vegetarians may leave out the ground beef and add more beans.

Accompaniment

The ideal accompaniment to homemade vegetable V-8 soup is crusty French bread with butter or olive oil. If you're a cheese lover, sprinkle shredded Parmesan, Romano or cheddar cheese on the bread and toast it until the cheese melts.

Leftovers

Eat as much as you want, and then save the rest for later. After the soup cools, ladle it into quart-sized containers and refrigerate or freeze. When you want the comfort of homemade vegetable soup, just heat it up and serve it.

Tags: ground beef, Bring boil, carrots diced, carrots diced potatoes, diced carrots