vegetable beef soup/stew

we have been having some unseasonably cool weather here on the east coast of virginia, so i decided to make a pot of vegetable beef soup/stew. we love this stuff, even my kids will eat it. it is so simple to make. you can start it in the morning, let it sit and it will be perfect for your evening supper. i call it a soup/stew, because the first day it is more like a soup with lots of soup liquor. come day two, it has thickened more like a stew, that is my favorite. as i look at the photos i think how monotone it looks. all the veggies' colors have dulled, but that is the nature of a soup/stew plus my lack of photographic skills. trust me, this is delicious and a favorite dinner. we like to top it with handfuls of grated vermont sharp cheddar. i also made a batch of garlic cheddar drop biscuits to go alongside. i hope you give it a try.

both pics are two day stew....



beth's beef vegetable soup/stew

2 tbsp. of evoo
1 tbsp. of flour
2 lbs. of stew beef or chuck roast cubed
one small onion, chopped
1 bottle of vegetable juice such as V8
one large can of petite diced tomatoes(28 oz)
one bag of frozen mixed veggies
one half bag of frozen butter beans
1/4 bag of frozen green peas
three whole bay leaves
start off with about two tsp of italian seasonings
sea salt
course black pepper
one tsp of sugar
one half box of elbow macaroni

okay, in a dutch oven over med high heat, heat the evoo and add the onion, stir for a few minutes and add the stew beef. sprinkle with the flour and brown briefly. maybe, three or four minutes. pour in the vegetable juice, scraping up all the lovely brown bits on the bottom of the pan. add a little water to the bottle, shake to get out all the juice and pour right into the pot. now, add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT macaroni. let it start to bubble and turn heat to low, put the lid on. allow it to simmer for about an hour or until the meat is cooked. taste it. adjust your seasonings and allow it cook slowly on low until the meat is tender. now cut it off and let it sit on your stove top. okay, an hour before you are ready to eat, turn it back on to med heat. let it start bubbling,add the macaroni, turn it back down to low, put the lid back on and allow it simmer again till the macaroni is just tender. watch it so it doesn't stick. don't add the macaroni till the end or you will end up with vegetable beef wall paper paste.

you can add most anything you want to the pot, potatoes, okra, whatever. this is the basic combo that my family loves. this is most forgiving recipe, so experiment and have fun. i love it best the next day. enjoy.