Food Friday

This week started getting a little colder, so I started thinking about cold weather foods and got a hankerin' (LOL) for vegetable soup.  I love the simplicity of a vegetable soup, but I am living in a house of boys and they simply have to have their meat.  So, they are not happy when I bust out my veggie soups.  I decided to make a bit of a compromise this time, as I am rather fond of them and do things just for them from time to time. (Was that a little over the top?)  This is another great thing about vegetable soup...it's so customizable!!  Add/take away the vegetables that you like/don't like and everyone is happy! Anyway, on to the recipe!

Vegetable Beef Soup/Stew

Ingredients:

2 lbs cubed beef stew meat

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1/4 cup red wine

48 oz beef broth

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 (1 oz) package dry onion soup mix
1 (2 lb) bag frozen mixed vegetables
1 can diced tomatoes
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
Dash favorite hot sauce

Optional: 3 cups prepared rice

Directions:

1. Place meat in a large plastic bag. Combine 1/4 cup flour with salt and pepper; pour into the bag with the meat, and shake to coat.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add stew meat, and cook until evenly browned on the outside. Transfer to a slow cooker along with frozen vegetables, tomatoes, beef broth, onion soup mix, tomato paste, and potatoes.

3. Pour red wine into the skillet, and stir to loosen browned bits of food on the bottom. Remove from heat, and pour into the slow cooker.  Add rosemary, soy, Worcestershire, and hot sauces.  

4. Cover, and cook on High for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to Low, and cook for 6 hours, or until meat is fork tender.  I like thick stews as opposed to thinner soups, so I added rice as well and that sucked up most of the remaining juices. My husband would disagree with me on this matter though.  :-)