October is finally bringing cooler weather to the four-state area, and on these frosty nights, there is nothing better than a nice bowl of hot and delicious homemade vegetable soup to warm up a hungry family.

Now I know what you’re going to say – there are as many ways to make vegetable soup as there are stars in the sky.  You’re right.  Everyone has their own family recipe – and that’s fine.  The point is that you take the time to make it yourself.  If you’re like me, I can’t just make a “small” batch of soup, and my soups are usually made without measuring ingredients.  I add in a can of this and a shake or two of that – it’s all by taste and feel.  I’ll also add in whatever I have around the house, if it fits the dish.  Half a box of unused mushrooms?  Toss ‘em in there.  Three boxes of “almost finished” pasta shells or elbows?  Add them in.  Half a bag of frozen vegetables?  Sure, why not.  That’s the beauty of a homemade vegetable soup – it’s got everything in there (and can clean out that fridge or freezer to boot).

The other great thing about homemade soup?  It gets better every time you warm it up.  The flavors continue to meld and deepen, creating a better dish each time you eat it.  That being said, here’s my recipe for homemade vegetable soup, the original which was taken from my grandfather (and adjusted to my preference over time):

 

HOMEMADE VEGETABLE SOUP

Yield: makes about 8-9 quarts                                           Time to make: about 3 hours

• 1 chuck roast (2-3 lbs)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1 medium onion
• 2-3 celery stalks
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 quarts (8 cups) of good beef stock (I use homemade or “Better than Bouillon” beef mix)
• 2 large cans tomatoes (I mix mine up – I can of stewed and one can of diced)
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 2 bags of frozen mixed/soup vegetables (carrots, peas, beans, corn, etc.)
• ½ box of elbow macaroni (or any shaped pasta you like)
• Salt and pepper

Dice up the onion and celery, making sure each one is about the same amount.  Take a large soup pot (10 quart or larger) and heat up the oil over medium high heat.  Add the onion, celery, and garlic and sauté (watch the garlic so it doesn’t burn).  Cook the vegetables until the onions are soft and translucent (5-10 minutes).  Meanwhile, season the chuck roast on both sides with salt and pepper.  Add the roast into the pot with the onions, garlic, and celery, and cover with the beef stock (the beef should be covered).  Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then simmer the meat for 1-2 hours (until it is falling apart).  Remove the meat and shred, removing any excess fat (now’s also the time to skim any excess fat off of the top of the broth, if you’re so inclined).  Add in both cans of tomatoes (including the juices) and the tomato paste.  Add in both bags of frozen vegetables and return the shredded meat to the pot.  Heat the mixture back to boiling (stirring frequently), then add in the pasta (start with a ¼ of the box and add more if you like, as the pasta will suck up a lot of the broth).  Adjust the seasoning, as necessary.  Once the pasta is done (according to package directions), serve immediately.

 

I serve mine with saltine crackers (butter them up for even more goodness).

Put the leftovers in the fridge – or freeze some for later this fall/winter!

Make a batch of this over the weekend and you’ll have plenty for lunch or a quick-fix evening meal anytime during the following week.