Homemade Vegetable Soup

I woke up this morning craving the vegetable soup of my childhood.

It was the 1950s. We lived frugally, but I don't think we ever considered ourselves poor. We had a house and clothes to wear. Daddy had a car, and we had nourishing food every evening. Our meals weren't gourmet—they were frugal, but they were homemade and cooked with love. Back then there was no "Hamburger Helper", we hadn't heard of McDonald's, and frozen dinners were still relatively new--and a luxury we really couldn't afford. 

Mom never measured her ingredients, so there's no written recipe. But in the afternoon, when I got home from school, I usually sat at the kitchen table puzzling over homework while the evening meal was prepared. I was an inquisitive little kid and liked to observe what was going on in the kitchen.

As I think back to those days I am amazed at how well Mom did with so little. A pound of beef for stew (which is a cheap, tough cut of meat) was stretched to make several meals for a family of four. Dried beans were a blessing—a one-pound sack of beans today costs only $2.00 (and it was much cheaper 60 years ago). Two pounds of dried beans equal about 2 cups uncooked but expand to 6 cups!

I'm proud of my Mom—her frugal nature gave us wholesome, healthy, natural food to eat and saved us countless dollars.

(Photo credit: Image by Lori Dunn from Pixabay)

Homemade Vegetable Soup (makes 6 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 pound beef for stew
• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup dry navy or white beans
• 1/2 cup dry red kidney (brown) beans
• 6 cups water
• 1/2 cup dry lentils
• 1 medium (about 1 cup) onion, finely chopped
• 1 small stalk of celery (no tops), finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 cup chopped cabbage or kale, optional
• 3 vegetable bouillon cubes
• 1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce
• 1 medium (about 1 cup) potato, diced
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In a large stockpot sauté the beef in olive oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally until browned on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside.
2. In the same pot add white and brown beans and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Return sauteed beef to pot. Cover and simmer for about 2 hours or until beans and beef are tender.
3. Add lentils, onions, carrots, celery, cabbage or kale, bouillon cubes, tomato sauce, and potatoes.
4. Cover and simmer until vegetables and lentils are tender (about 20 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste.

Photo Credit: Image by Matthias Lipinski from Pixabay