Italian Vegetable Beef Soup

This slow cooker soup is the perfect solution to a fridge loaded with a lot of odds and ends of vegetables to use up. Since it’s flavored  with wine, garlic, and Italian seasonings I’ve called it “Italian Vegetable Beef Soup.” It’s a very flexible soup recipe, though, and you can use whatever you have on hand.

And it’s my favorite kind of slow cooker recipe: dump everything in a pot and leave it to cook. So thankful for my slow cooker.

Some of the ways I’ve change this up include using different beans and vegetables. I’ve even used pork and chicken stock, just switching to white wine and keeping the same seasonings. Anyway you make it turns out great.

[recipe]

Italian Vegetable Beef (or Pork, or Chicken) Soup

• 2 c. cooked beans (white, red, garbanzo, etc.)
• 3-4 carrots and/or parsnips, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1-2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1/4 – 1/2 head red or green cabbage, chopped
• 2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-1/2 lbs. beef, cut in 1/2-in. pieces (or cooked hamburger, pork or chicken)
• 1/2 cup of wine (or water)
• 3 c. broth (beef with beef, chicken with chicken or pork)
• 1-1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 2 c. cut green beans (frozen or fresh- add the last hour)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Place the first nine ingredients into the bowl of a large slow-cooker.
2. Stir together the wine, broth and Italian seasoning and pour over the ingredients in the cooker (if the ingredients are not covered with liquid, add enough water to cover).
3. Cook on low for 7 hours (or high for 3-1/2 hours).
4. Add the green beans and cook for another hour. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan and serve with some easy artisan bread.

[/recipe]

–Jami

This is linked to $5 Dinner Challenge and Tasty Tuesday