Name: Italian Vegetable Beef Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean); 1 teaspoon salt; 2 medium onions, chopped; 4 cups chopped cabbage; 1 package (16 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables; 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes; 1 bay leaf; 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 2 cartons (32 ounces each) beef broth

Ground meat, veggies and broth come together in a snap in this recipe for Italian vegetable beef soup, which can be customized endlessly to use whatever ingredients you've got.

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)

1 teaspoon salt

2 medium onions, chopped

4 cups chopped cabbage

1 package (16 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes

1 bay leaf

3 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 cartons (32 ounces each) beef broth

Instructions

1 Brown the beef

2 In a 6-qt. stockpot, cook the ground beef and onions over medium-high heat until the beef is no longer pink, six to eight minutes, breaking beef into crumbles as it cooks. Drain if desired. Editor's Tip: Feel free to skip the draining step if you prefer. The fat in the pan will be full of flavor from the beef and onions, and you'll lose that flavor if you toss it.

3 Finish the soup

4 Add the cabbage, mixed vegetables, tomatoes, seasonings and broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the cabbage is crisp-tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and serve.