Beef Vegetable Soup

This is a soup that Boy 1 loves. It's good, covers a whole meal essentially and, if you do the whole recipe, will leave lots of leftovers. When we make it we usually have two to three meals worth which is great for dinner the next day or several lunches. Add some bread or rolls alongside and you have a yummy meal!

Beef Vegetable Soup
from Redbook magazine

This takes about 2 hours or so to cook, depending on how small you chop your veggies.

1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut in 3/4" chunks (I use stew meat, already cut!)
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cans - 14 1/2 ounces each, beef broth (or a 48 oz box and one can)
1 can - 28 to 35 ounces, plum tomatoes in juice (diced tomatoes work, too)
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp pepper
1 pound carrots, peeled and diced (I just use a bunch of baby carrots, sliced)
1 pound red potatoes, scrubbed and diced (I use regular white potatoes)
3 celery stalks, diced
1 package - 10 ounces frozen peas (I can ever only find 16 oz, so I use those)
1 package - 10 ounces frozen corn (I can ever only find 16 oz, so I use those)
(I like to add some salt but I've never measured it. You can always just add a little to your bowl before eating, too. It really needs a little extra salt.)

Brown beef in oil in a large pot (I use a stock pot). Add onion and cook for five (5) minutes. Stir in broth, tomatoes and juice, water, bay leaf, thyme, and pepper. (And salt if you want to add it). Bring it to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.

Add carrots, potatoes and celery. Cover and simmer for another 45 minutes or until the carrots and potatoes start to soften. Add peas and corn and cook for another 15 minutes.