BEEF VEGETABLE SOUP

Ingredients:

1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or canned
1 cup cut okra, fresh or frozen
1 cup frozen butter beans
1 cup diced celery
1 cup sliced green beans, fresh or canned
1 cup frozen black-eyed peas
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Paula Deen’s Seasoned Salt
1 tablespoon Paula Deen’s House Seasoning
2 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
3 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
4 quart cold water
2 tablespoon vegetable oil (if using chuck roast)
2 1/2 to 3 lb beef short ribs or 2 1/2 to 3 pounds boneless chuck roast*
1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
2 teaspoon Accent

Directions:

If using chuck roast, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the roast in the skillet and cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the roast from the ski8llet and cut it into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes; discard the fat. Place the beef cubes in a large stockpot. (If using short ribs, you can put them right in the pot with no preparation). Add the water, seasonings, onion, and tomatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot; reduce the heat so that the liquid simmers, and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. If using short ribs, remove them from the pot and cut the meat from the bones, discard the bones and fat, and return the meat to the pot. Add the remaining vegetables and the macaroni and return the soup to a boil, stirring to distribute the ingredients. Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Add Accent, if desired, and adjust the other seasonings to taste. Just before serving, add fresh parsley to pot. To remove excess fat from the surface of the soup, swirl a lettuce leaf around the surface-it will pick up a lot of the fat.

*The chuck roast will yield more meat, but the bones from the short ribs give the soup an incredible flavor.

Servings: 8 quarts
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: Easy

TACO SOUP

Ingredients:

Jalapenos
Chopped green onions
Grated cheese
Sour cream
Corn chips
1 1-ounce package ranch salad dressing mix
1 1 1/4-ounce package taco seasoning mix
1/2 cup green olives, sliced (optional)
1 small can black olives, drained and sliced (optional)
2 4 1/2-ounce cans diced green chilies
1 14 1/2-ounce can tomatoes with chilies
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 14 1/2-ounce can mexican tomatoes
1 15 1/4-ounce can whole kernal corn, drained
1 15 1/2-ounce cans pink kidney beans
2 15-1/2 ounce cans pinto beans
2 cup diced onions
2 lb ground beef

Directions:

Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large crockpot or a stockpot. Add the beans, corn, green onions, tomatoes, chilies, olives, and seasonings, and cook on low setting all day (6 to 8 hours) if using a crockpot, or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a stockpot on the stove. To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, and jalapenos.

Servings: 12 to 16 servings
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 8 hours crock pot, 1 hour stock pot method
Difficulty: Easy