Italian Vegetable Soup

Good thing I had some leftover carrots after making this soup; the kids just came inside to get one for Buppy's snowman's nose!

Back on topic though. I was perusing through blogs yesterday (something I just don't have enough time for these days) and I happened upon a recipe for Italian vegetable beef soup on Aggie’s Kitchen. She has some really great looking recipes, and since it's been a snowy, blustery weekend, I thought this soup would be just the ticket. Plus, I had some extra veggies in the fridge that I needed to use up. I made some changes to the recipes, but overall the concept is still the same. It's good, although to suite my personal tastes, next time I'd add a few less veggies. I like veggies and all, but this soup has lots! But hey, I don't feel guilty eating it at least. Buppy and I plan to have this for dinner with some nice crusty bread and a little Parmesan sprinkled on top.

Italian Veggie Beef Soup
Adapted from Aggie’s Kitchen

3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 zucchinis, quartered & chopped
1 yellow squash, quartered & chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
3/4 of a large onion, chopped
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 tsp. each dried basil, dried oregano & dried thyme
1 heaping tsp. minced garlic
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic & oregano
6 c. beef broth
1 lb. beef stew meat, cubed
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Salt & pepper, to taste

Rinse cubed stew meat in water and pat dry (I forgot this step today). Shake in a large Ziploc bag with just enough flour to lightly coat the meat. Heat a large skillet to med-high heat, add 1 Tbsp. olive oil and let it come up to temp. Add the meat, turning pieces occasional, until nicely browned on all sides. It's not overly important to cook the meat thoroughly since it'll be added to the soup and can finish cooking in the liquid.

In the remaining olive oil, saute zucchini, squash, carrot & onion until tender (approx. 10-12 min.). Add seasonings, tomatoes, garlic, corn & broth. Heat to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the cooked stew meat and simmer for approximately 30 min., or until all veggies are cooked to your liking. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Parmesan cheese if you'd like.

Aggie’s recipe calls for small cooked pasta as an optional addition, which I haven't decided about yet. I'm not sure what we have in the cupboards, so I'll have to check that out at dinner time. It already reminds me of minestrone, and the addition of pasta will only make it more so. This is a good, healthy, warming soup.