This vegetable meat soup is the kind of soup you make when you want something hearty, flexible, and made from what you already have on hand. This vegetable soup works equally well with ground beef, turkey, or chicken, and it’s especially suited for home-canned vegetables, though store-bought will work just fine. It’s a practical, old-fashioned soup—simple ingredients, deep flavor, and forgiving enough to adjust to your pantry. This is everyday food meant to nourish, stretch a pound of meat, and put a warm bowl on the table without fuss.
Ingredients
Vegetables:
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3–5 cloves garlic, minced (or more to taste)
- 1 pint home-canned green beans, drained (or 1 store-bought can, drained)
- 1 pint home-canned diced tomatoes, drained (or 1 store-bought can, drained)
- 1 quart home-canned crushed tomatoes (or 1 store-bought quart jar, do not drain)
Meat:
- 1 lb ground beef, turkey, or chicken
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1–2 tablespoons vegetable oil for browning
Seasonings:
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons course black pepper
- Salt to taste (the soy sauce adds salt so may or may not be needed)
- Optional – add a tablespoon of molasses to enrich flavor and add a tough sweetness
Instructions
- Sauté the onions and garlic:
- In a large soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil or butter over medium heat.
- Add diced onion and minced garlic. Sauté until the onion is tender and the garlic is fragrant, about 3–5 minutes.
- In a large soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil or butter over medium heat.
- Brown the meat:
- In a separate skillet, heat 1–2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat.
- Brown the ground meat, breaking it into small pieces.
- Stir in Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce while browning.
- Do not drain the fat; it adds richness and flavor.
- In a separate skillet, heat 1–2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat.
- Combine the soup:
- Add the sautéed onion and garlic to the soup pot.
- Stir in drained green beans and drained diced tomatoes (home-canned or store-bought).
- Add the crushed tomatoes (do not drain).
- Add garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Add the sautéed onion and garlic to the soup pot.
- Add the meat:
- Stir the browned meat (with its fat) into the soup.
- Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
- Stir the browned meat (with its fat) into the soup.
- Simmer:
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20–30 minutes to let flavors meld.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20–30 minutes to let flavors meld.
- Adjust thickness (if needed):
- If the soup is too thick, gradually stir in water.
- Add ½ teaspoon salt for each 1 quart of water to maintain flavor.
- If the soup is too thick, gradually stir in water.
- Serve:
- Serve hot with bread, crackers, or cornbread.
- Serve hot with bread, crackers, or cornbread.
Notes
- Drain all vegetables except crushed tomatoes to prevent watery soup.
- 1 pint home-canned ≈ 1 standard store-bought can (~14–16 oz). Crushed tomatoes are a quart.
- Store bought canned vegetables will contain more salt than home canned so you may need to adjust the salt.
- Optional flavor boosters: fresh or dried herbs, a pinch of paprika, or a bay leaf while simmering.
- Soup tastes even better the next day once flavors meld.