Vegetable Beef Soup

We have had some very unseasonably warm days this winter so far, which makes me sad because my favorite part about the winter months is making big pots of homemade soups, stews, and chili. We finally have a cold snap coming for a few days so I knew I wanted to take advantage and make some delicious, homemade vegetable beef soup. This is a great recipe because it isn't a heavy dish and it offers tons of nutrition with all the different vegetables. Some whole wheat grilled cheese sandwiches go perfectly with this soup recipe.

Vegetable Beef Soup
Serves: 6 to 8 portions
Adapted by: http://barefeetinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/11/rustic-vegetable-beef-soup.html

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef OR ground turkey breast - i used lean grassfed ground beef
2 cups celery, chopped
2 cups carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup corn, frozen OR 1 cup canned corn, drained - prefer frozen because less sodium
1 cup cut green beans, frozen OR 1 cup canned green beans, drained
28oz petite diced tomatoes
3 cups reduced sodium beef broth
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 - 2 teaspoons minced garlic
sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:
-In a large pot, add your ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown the beef until it is browned and cooked completely. Drain the cooked beef really well before returning it to the large pot.
-Add onions, carrots, celery, corn, green beans, tomatoes, beef broth, and all seasonings to the pot and stir well to make sure it all gets mixed together.
-Bring soup to a boil and then turn to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes or until veggies are fork tender, but not mushy.
-You may want to add additional seasonings if you think it needs it. We always add more pepper but we like spicier foods.
-Serve in bowls with hot grilled cheese sandwiches or wheat crusty bread pieces

Enjoy! :)