Monday, October 4, 2010

Soup is on!

Now that fall is here (I can’t believe it either!), with the cooler weather means soup season is here!  From a comfort food standpoint, I love this season!  I am a big soup fan personally, and I especially love this one because its easy, it utilizes my handy dandy crock pot and it freezes well.  This makes a huge batch for just one person, so I divvy it up and keep it for those rainy days, when I don’t want/have time to cook or its rainy and I want some soup!


1lb ground beef
1lb ground pork
1 medium sliced red onion
2 cups of sliced carrots
2 cups of fresh green beans
2 cups of chopped celery
1 can of diced stewed tomatoes
1 box of chicken broth
2 tsp of Italian seasonings
2 (or more!) cloves of garlic minced. 
Fat of choice – Butter, Olive, Coconut, or palm oils
Salt and pepper to taste

There are two ways you can role with this recipe depending on time.  Method one is the fastest and works well for the most part.  Method one is coat bottom of crock pot with fat of choice.  Add remaining ingredients (except tomatoes), cover and cook.  Low if you are going to be gone all day, high if you are going to go shower and come back. If you are going to be gone all day I would recommend mixing up the pot contents so your beans don’t turn brown and shrivel.  Add tomatoes just before you are ready to serve.   
Method number two is for those that enjoy the cooking process a bit more.  I also find it comes out a big more flavorful when done slowly.   Its still super fast, but you get to ‘play’ with your food a bit more.  In large pan heat up fat of choice and add onions.  Cook until onions start to go clear and add pork and beef.  Cook until meat is fully browned.  In crock pot mix meat and onion mix, with all other ingredients except the tomatoes.  Cook until veggies are desired texture.  Just before serving add tomatoes and let simmer for just a few minutes. Then enjoy!


*try Italian pork for a little jazz
*my soup pictures do not include the can of tomatoes - they hurt my belly
*why wait to add them?  They are already cooked so they don't need to simmer. 
* if serving immediately I would add some fresh squash, like zucchini, or maybe even some yams.  I didn’t add them in this recipe because I freeze it and they get too soft and over cook.
*feel free to use frozen veggies too, if you have access to fresh I say why not
* I liked to use the foofoo tomatoes like ‘in olive oil and basil’ or garlic
 

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