Italian Vegetable Soup

Vegetable Soup ~ Italian style!

Woo Hoo World ~ I am feeling so much more alive today than I have all year! :) Seriously! (so much so, I remind the hubs of our grands on a sugar high ~ hahaha!) No matter, I am grateful for the energy boost from all the naturalness I've been pushing.

My heart & tummy are happy as I believe we're finally over our yuk bug hump & fingers crossed we

 have arrived on the downhill slope to feeling better!

 

BUT, just to be sure, I'm continuing on with our healthy veggie vitamin 'feel good cuz it's good for you' soup regimen!

While cooking this soup, my home teased me with whiffs of what my imagination believes Lil Italy would smell like!

 MMMmmmMMM #bucketlist

The combination of Italian herbs with tomatoes, onions and carrots marrying together in a single pot - Divine!

Did you know, my recent food love discoveries indicate I could be part Italian?

AhHaHa; not really - but I do absolutely LOVE the mouth-watering tongue tingling combination of Basil and Oregano with Tomato. Anybody else? 

Now, this recipe calls for water. I elected to use beef broth instead. I have fallen in love with the health benefits of bone broth!  You can read up on bone broth by checking out another veggie soup here. Not to mention using broth was also an excellent flavor addition for the ground chuck used.

Since we prefer soups that still provide a 'bite', Ya know, something you can actually sink your teeth into. I left the majority of the vegetables at just 'fork tender'. 

Hearty bites of root veggies co-mingled with small bits of ground chuck all surrounded by a beefy-tomato broth come together for a filling & feel good meal my hungry man enjoyed! 

As the main dish, add a salad or baked potato then call it a day! It's that hearty!

Oh, and let's not forget simple. All y'all know my favorite thing in the wake of my discovery is Simplicity! This is another recipe meeting that criteria. Just a few simple steps and rest is just magic!

Ingredients:

• 4 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 1 small bag of carrots peeled & sliced on angle
• 8 stalks of celery peeled & sliced (I personally prefer the flavor of the celery hearts)
• 4 c beef broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes 
• 1 lg can peeled tomatoes (IMO whole peeled tomatoes have more flavor so I crush or dice whole tomatoes with this gadget)
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1/2 head cabbage chopped
• 3 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp basil
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
• 2 lbs ground chuck

In a large stock pot, I browned my chuck without draining (there was almost zero fat)

I added in my sweet onion, garlic and all spices. Mix this up allowing it to bloom under a tight-fitting lid on low heat for about 4 minutes -- just enough to start cooking the onions thru -- then toss in carrots and celery -- mix & repeat for another 4 minutes or so. 

Next, add your broth and tomatoes. Replace the lid, cook at a simmer until the veggies are ALMOST cooked to your liking. When they are close, toss in your cabbage, fold into the soup. Cover. Simmer again, but only until the veggies are fork tender including the cabbage. (of course this varies from person to person so adjust accordingly)

I topped mine with some grated Parmesan cheese and paired with some garlic bread.

I owe this tasty soup inspiration to Mary over at barefeetinthekitchen.com ; head over sometime to find some healthy home-made inspiration of your own! 

Another worthy mention: my compost pile is absolutely loving this veggie 'feel good' soup week!  

(full disclosure: we both heart carbs & sugar so it's not been a 100% green goddess goodness week. Y'all come back to see me as I'm saving a sweet treat story for another day!)

Til Next Time ~
Domesticate Rebellion

THRIVING ~ Have you witnessed the testimonies? It’s not about weight loss; it IS about feeling better from the inside out! If interested I would love to help you! Knowledge is Power! Sign-up for a FREE account & information at https://domesticated.le-vel.com

 

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