Freezer Friendly Recipes: Beef Vegetable Soup

Freezer Beef Vegetable Soup for Now and Later

Continuing on with our Freezer Friendly Recipes series (you can see previous posts here)

Freezer Beef Vegetable Soup is a fantastic meal to make when all the produce is in season so you can have fantastic meals later on. Simmering the beef and vegetables until nearly completely cooked, then cooling and placing in freezer containers insures that you will have meals in minutes anytime you need them. I love to shop farmers market for produce, especially things that are just past their prime that farmers are selling cheaper.  The flavors are phenomenal, as is the price, even if they don’t look perfect. Besides, we’re going to be simmering Freezer Beef Vegetable Soup for about an hour and a half, so it won’t matter what the vegetables look like.

What Goes into Freezer Beef Vegetable Soup

For the beef in Freezer Beef Vegetable Soup, I typically purchase beef that’s on sale, even if I have to freeze it for later. I’ll often by roast, cut them into stew meat, and freeze in one pound bags so the ready to go when I need it. Buying the roast on sale save me money over buying free cut the meat in the store . As for vegetables, I add whatever vegetables are in season at a good price, either at a farmers market for my local grocery store. Onions, carrots, and celery always form the basis of my soup and then I add in anything else that I can find such as corn, tomatoes, sometimes turn up rutabagas . And I always add garlic for flavor. Use your favorite vegetable in whatever amount you enjoy for a hearty soup any day of the week.

• 
• 2 lbs beef roast, cut into ½ inch cubes
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 lb carrots, sliced
• 4 stalks celery, cleaned and sliced
• 1 bell pepper, seeds removed and flesh diced
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced thick
• 2 C tomato juice
• 1 lg can whole or diced tomatoes
• salt
• pepper
• water
• pasta, if desired, when serving

Heat a large stockpot over medium high heat.

Add the roast and olive oil.  Saute until meat starts to brown.

Add the remaining ingredients, using enough water to cover, plus 2 inches.

Cover and simmer for 1 ½ hours, until meat is tender and cooked through, replacing any water if needed.

Add pasta and cook another 7-9 minutes, until pasta is tender.

Serve with crusty bread.

How to Freeze Freezer Beef Vegetable Soup

Freezing Freezer Beef Vegetable Soup is easy. If you’re going to freeze it, don’t add the pasta in the pot. Allow the Freezer Beef Vegetable Soup to cool, place in plastic bags, freezer containers, or even canning jars, label well and place in your freezer. When you’d like to enjoy a bowl of the Freezer Beef Vegetable Soup, simply thaw, place in a pan, and bring up to temperature. If you’d like to add pasta, add a little extra water and simmer the pasta right in the pot. You’ll have a beautiful bowl of Freezer Beef Vegetable Soup any time of year.