Whiteley Creek Homestead

A perfect soup day today… I chose Hamburger Veggie Soup because I had errands to run and it's an easy throw-together meal to prepare first thing in the morning to heat later. Also, I always stock the ingredients in my pantry. I made frozen banana sundaes for dessert which take minutes to prepare. Something hot… something cold. A good combo.

Hamburger Veggie Soup Makes 4 hearty servings

1 tsp oil

1 large onion

1 lb lean ground beef preferably pastured grass-fed or ideally pastured grass-finished 

1 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp leaf oregano, and 1/2 tsp leaf marjoram 

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp Johnny's Seasoning Salt* or your own favorite all-purpose seasoning

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (I use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos.)

4 c beef stock or broth

1 bay leaf

1-14.5 oz can diced or stewed tomatoes (I sometimes sub 3/4 cup mild salsa.)

2 c mixed frozen veggies like peas, carrots, and corn combo (or use any veggie from your garden or fridge like zucchini, yellow squash, sweet potato…)

1/3 c quick-cooking 10 min. barley, brown rice, or quinoa (If using reg. barley or brown rice, just allow cooking extra time.)

In soup pot, saute onion in oil until the onion softens slightly and begins to turn translucent. Add beef and cook until almost brown. Add basil, pepper, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce (or Bragg’s). Add beef stock (or broth), bay leaf, and tomatoes with their juice. Cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil. Stir in the barley and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes then add the frozen veggies. Simmer for another 5 minutes or so until the barley is tender and the veggies are warmed and still firm like fresh-picked from garden, not mushy. *Johnny’s Seasoning Salt adds wonderful flavor to all of your dishes. I order the "No MSG" (monosodiumglutamate) variety.

To make the "raw food" sundaes, I push frozen bananas through my Champion Juicer with the blank insert in place instead of the screen that is used to make juice. It tastes just like soft serve ice cream, but you must eat it before it begins to melt or it tastes like mushed bananas. I topped it with strawberries and pineapple that I whizzed in my food processor. Note: If you don't have a Champion Juicer, or you desire less cleanup, here's a banana mikshake recipe made with a blender or food processor. So very simple.