Recipe: Hamburger Soup

In the mood for a dynamite bowl of soup?  Well, here's a fabulous recipe from the Best of Bridge (reference below).

I made the soup first thing in the morning for a lunch time meal - it took about twenty minutes to prep (I chopped whatever needed chopping while the beef and onions cooked) and then just let it simmer for about three hours.  Don't leave out the fresh, finely chopped parsley - it completes a lovely flavour.

We five, in addition to my parents, loved this soup along with a crusty loaf of homemade bread with butter and cheddar.  The soup tasted even better the second day when we were polishing off the leftovers.  This recipe definitely makes the cut and has been added into my recipe files.  I only wish I'd taken a picture to entice you further!


Hamburger Soup
http://www.bestofbridge.com/2009/01/01/hamburger-soup/
Book Reference – The Best of the Best – Vol. 1 (Page: 119), The Best of Bridge (Page: 129)

Ingredients
1.5 pounds ground beef (I used pastured beef, and the flavour is awesome, but any will do)
1 medium onion, finely chopped (I used a huge onion b/c I love the flavour onions bring)

1 - 28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups water
3 10 oz cans (1 litre) beef consomme (I used organic but whatever....)
1 - 10 oz can tomato soup
4-6 carrots, finely chopped (I used 7 organic carrots...again, the flavour is so lovely)
1 bay leaf (I used 2)
3 sticks celery
finely chopped parsley - about 1/3 - 1/2 of a bunch
1/2 cup pot barley (more nutritious than pearl barley)
S&P to taste

Instructions
Brown meat and onion in a large pot.  Drain (which you don't have to do if it's pastured beef because it's naturally extremely lean).

Dump all of the other ingredients into the pot.  Simmer, covered, for at least two hours, or all day.