Thursday, October 16, 2008

Soup for the soul




When I was growing up, I was never a fan of soup. After my mother had slaved over a pot of simmering goodness, I'd wrinkle my nose and scurry off to make myself a peanut butter sandwich.


Then I began to cook and I realized how glorious soups were. It's an entire meal in one pot, leaving plenty of room for biscuits. In this case, I made wheat dinner rolls from scratch.

And everyone knows how much I like dinner rolls. It's like the friendly cousin of the biscuit family.

This soup is my mother's recipe, and it's fantastic. For one, it's extremely easy. You basically dump all the ingredients in a pot and stir it every once in awhile. That's why I can make it. It also makes a large batch, making it freezer worthy.

The only problem I can see with the soup is that you're in such a hurry to eat it, you forget to take pictures after deciding to feature it on your blog. All you get is this.





But it's ok. We can still drool over the lovely dinner rolls. Basically, I used the dinner roll recipe in the Better Homes and Garden New Cookbook.


I used the wheat flour version. We're all about being healthy here at the Pond.



Please ignore the butter slathered all over the pan.

So after a long weekend at a wedding or a busy one with the kids, just pop some veggies, browned ground beef, barely, herbs and spices and let the soup simmer for an hour or so.


Dinner rolls never hurt either. I like mine with butter and honey. It's the healthy thing to do.


This photo was not staged.

The best part? Even the biggest soup critic will adore it.


Debbie's Vegetable Beef Soup

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2 cups frozen corn
2 cups crinkle frozen carrots
1 cup fast cooking barley
1/2 bag frozen green beans
3 medium potatoes or 2 large ones- peeled and cubed
1 can tomato paste
1 TBSP dried onions or onion powder
1 TBSP basil
1 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf (remove when soup is done.)

Brown ground beef in beef broth. Dump into pot. Add all vegetables and tomato paste and spices. Add water until vegetables are covered. Let it simmer for over an hour. Add biscuits, dinner rolls or cornbread.

* Tomorrow, the second edition of the spooky diner that Abby has wondered in on midnight on Halloween! And Saturday, the answer to Jen's tag of 7 things!

37 comments:

Chronicles of Dolliedaydream said...

Hello Duckie - Yum sound delish! Unfortunately my hubbie is a veggie :-( Boohoo I might have to make a secret pot for myself!

Lucy..♥ said...

Just love soups of all kinds, and easy.. is the best part and this looks so good!! ;-)

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

The picture of your husband drinkling from the soup bowl says it all...no better compliment than that! I'm with you, I have to have bread with my soup.

Shell in your Pocket said...

The last picture cracks me up! The person doing my blog is
www.graphicallydesigning.blogspot.com

or if you go my list "My life with 3boybarians"...I am not sure is she does websites...I really like her work!

-Sandy Toes

Anonymous said...

that looks sooo yummy! i am going to have to give it a shot!!!!

Marie Rayner said...

Great looking soup and rolls Duckie!!! I have that cookbook. I've had it for years! It's one of my favs!!!

Greg C said...

I made soup last night as well. Mine was turkey noodle but it was home made. Soup is good food. I have to pass on the rolls though because they are not on my diet. :(

Anonymous said...

The soup was clearly a hit, and I can see why. Love the photos too!
I just wish I could have some of those dinner rolls...I just recently found out I have a gluten intolerance, and wheat is out for me. But I can have cornbread, which is always good with soup, too!

Prudy said...

Oh nummy num. I love soups, and soups with homemade rolls are even better.

sassy stephanie said...

I am the same way! Now, I can't stand to buy canned or even jar soups. It is just way too easy to make them, esp in the crock pot. My middle daughter's fave dish is my homemade chicken and noodle. Lately, I'm OBSESSED with making chicken and dumplings. Like, 110% obsessed. I have made it 4 times in the past 3 weeks!

Unknown said...

That soup sounds good. We have that very same cookbook. A very good one.

Marjie said...

I love vegetable beef soups. Sometimes I forget to fish out the bay leaf, and invariably some wise guy will make some comment to the effect of "what's the prize for getting the leaf?"

And you have to have dinner rolls or biscuits with soup. If it's not the law, it ought to be!

Maria said...

Soup with rolls, looks like a perfect meal to me.

Paula said...

Soup. Rolls. I'm totally there, especially if the rolls are homemade! Love to dunk the rolls into the broth. Veggie beef barley soup is the best. I cracked up at the forgotten picture notation! YUM!

Anonymous said...

I want that little mini roll on the plate, it's so cute.

Bunny said...

Duckie I've been on the look out for soup recipes! This sounds great, I have to make it lookm how much Ben loves it!

Jen @ tatertotsandjello.com said...

Hi Duckie!

Your soup looks delicious! Love the picture of your husband drinking the soup - so funny!

I am out of town but wanted to check your blog. Thanks for the laugh! Have a great day!

Jane said...

Your soup and rolls were delicious along with the chapter of viv and wade.

amycaseycooks said...

That roll recipe is my go-to recipe. It is so good and dependable. I'm making a big pot of tortilla soup right now. It is a favorite around our house on the weekends.

alexandra's kitchen said...

we were such brats when were young! I hate to speak for you, but I can totally relate. my mother would make a bowl of egg-and-lemon soup — a family recipe — and I would casually dip my bread into it to pretend I liked it. Today, I love nothing more than a bid bowl of soup! This sounds awesome.

Live.Love.Eat said...

Ha ha. That's too funny. The rolls look great, everything does! But that pic is hilarious!!!!

Cynthia's Blog said...

I love soup where I have EVERY single ingredient right now, if I want to make a batch. And dinner rolls can be make any size I want!

Amanda said...

LOL! Love the picture of the slurped soup!

Esi said...

I really love making soups now. Looks like this one was enjoyed by all! :)

Laurie said...

I love soups! And this sounds yummy! I don't thnk I have seen fast cooking barley on the shelves.. I'll have to look for that one! And I'm glad you are enjoying soups now! I have a sixteen year old who pulls out the P&J with almost everything I cook! I pray her fussiness takes a hike!

And I loved Step up 2 more than step up 1. Your right.. the plot was a little weak on #1. The dancing in the end made up for it though. :)
On 2 it has a bit more beginning, middle and end thing going on, and the dancing at the finale is so fabulous! Let me know when you see it!! :)

Mary Ann said...

Yum- soup and rolls, the perfect combination!

Amanda said...

Laurie, I just bought quick cooking barley. Can't remember what aisle I found it in but I had almost given up when I found it :)

Anonymous said...

I love soup and the thought of those yummy looking rolls with a bowl of it, could cure anything. Wouldn't think of ignoring the butter either.

calicodaisy said...

The soup looks good! But, I'd rather have the dinner rolls!
-- Michele

Cakelaw said...

LOL - love the photo of the soup in the bottom of the bowl and your partner with the bowl up to his face. I didn't think much of soup as a kid either - I think it's yet another one of those grown up things (just like the fruit cake I was reading about earlier). Beautiful looking dinner rolls you made - so round and golden and perfect.

Lore said...

I've always been a soup girl but I've mostly only eaten clear soup as a kid and still feel I have to make up for so many types of soups out there like yours, yummy! And with dinner rolls I might even dance :D

Becka Robinson said...

Oh, I am SUCH a soup fan too!

grace said...

i just let out what can only be classified as a guffaw. the tipped-up bowl is hilarious--must be some stellar soup. :)

Anonymous said...

Soups are fantastic and I think the proof of how good it is in the haste of the eating! The dinner rolls look fantastic too, after all what is soup without freshly baked bread?

Megan said...

Hello -- I'd love to make this for dinner tomorrow! Can you tell me what size can of tomato paste to use? I've seen three different sizes at the grocery store. Thanks!

The W.O.W. factor! said...

Oooooooo..I'm making this for supper tomorrow nite! Dinnner rolls with butter, honey and all!
Thanks!
(Great shot of the empty bowl!)
;)

The Blonde Duck said...

Megan--

I tried to respond on your blog, but it wouldn't let me. Hopefully this isn't too late for you. I get the small cans of tomato paste-like 6 or 7 ounces, if not less. 4 or 5 oz. is plenty. I hope that helps! I usually get the little Hunt's cans that are like 50 cents each. Let me know if you need anything else!