-Beef of your choosing (I used two hunks of roast...maybe...I really don't know my beef all that well, but basically use whatever king you prefer and however much you want)
-6 to 7 cups of water
-3 TB butter
-1 C baby lima beans
-1/2 C corn
-12 mini yellow potatoes
-1 pack grape tomatoes
-3 carrots, chopped
-couple of slices of onion, chopped
-1 TB basil
-3 tsp Rosemary
-Pinch of garlic
-Salt and Pepper to taste
Toss it all in the crockpot, I sent most of it straight there from my freezer. Cook on low for nine to ten hours. Serve with some griddled up cornbread.
When I walked back in to my apartment after my night class, I opened the door to the most fantastic smell on the planet. Though my chicken tortilla soup will probably be my all time favorite in taste, this one might just have it locked up for best smelling soup.
And the beef, after a low and slow ten hours, just falls apart. Fantastic. It is like perfectly shredded beef with absolutely no work.
I love no work.
I know it is getting warmer outside and so soup may not be the first thing on your mind. However, it is quickly becoming my best friend for Thursday nights because I am always STARVING after class, figuratively speaking. It is a drawing class of sorts and anything art related makes me hungry. Clear broth soups are a nice light meal after that doesn't bog me down before bedtime, and a great way to detox.
One time, my throat was nearly swollen shut due to what I thought was strep and I lived on soup broth and Special K vanilla protein shakes for about 2-3 days. Was I miserable? Absolutely. Did I appreciate soup broth for keeping me going? Absolutely. Every now and then I use soup in some pseudo detox method. Eating a clear broth soup for a few days always helps me feel a little lighter.
Also, I have to put in a LOT of hours this weekend on finalizing some projects, straightening the apartment, and picking up last minute things I need for a cake I am doing early next week. So having some yummy food on hand that I can just heat and eat will be fantastic.
You can add as much beef as you like, mine really only has 2 hunks each the size of half of a brick in it. Though I am in no way a vegetarian, I do have days where meat does not sound all that great to me, so this soup is predominantly veggies. As a kid, I LOVED lima beans. I think I picked them out of soups like this and just ate them, not so sure on that one, but I remember loving them since I was a tiny thing. So pretty much that was my main concern in this soup, feeding my childhood love of those funny little beans. It was delicious, even if it is first day soup.
Soup is ALWAYS better the second day, always.
I don't know if the Italian-esque herbs are typical for beef soup, but my argument is and will remain that if you use more things like herbs and quality products (homegrown veggies when possible, for example) you get a lot of flavor without having to add a lot of salt. You of course still need some because salt is required for basically everything you cook to not taste flat, but there is absolutely no need to get up to Campbell's soup salt levels.
I am hoping to start my own little herb garden soon in cute barrels. It is on my ever growing "want to do" list.
Happy crafting!
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