Beef-Vegetable Soup

Add a bit more flavor to this soup by substituting several strips of bacon cut into bite-sized pieces for the oil. Another alternative is substituting canned French Onion Soup for some of the beef broth.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 7 large carrots
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 1 large sweet onion, peeled and diced
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon butter, melted
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
• 4 cups beef broth
• 6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 (3-pound) chuck roast
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen green beans, thawed
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen baby peas, thawed
• Optional: Fresh parsley

1. Peel the carrots. Dice 6 of the carrots and grate 1. Add the grated carrot, celery, onion, mushrooms, oil, and butter to the slow cooker. Stir to coat the vegetables in the oil and butter. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
2. Stir in the garlic. Add the broth, diced carrots, potatoes, dried parsley, oregano, rosemary, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Trim the roast of any fat and cut into bite-sized pieces. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until the beef is tender and the potatoes are cooked through.
3. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the green beans, corn, and peas; cover and cook on low for 1 hour or until the vegetables are heated through. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt, pepper, and herbs if needed.

Or, if you prefer…

Make Beef-Vegetable Soup a tomato-based dish by substituting 2 (15-ounce) cans of diced tomatoes for the beef broth.