48. Chili-Beef-Potato Soup

I’ve had the Better Homes and Gardens Good Food on a Budget book for years. I have some favorite recipes in this book but have never made this soup. I think the book is out of print, but there seems to be some used copies available through Amazon.


Chili-Beef-Potato Soup

½ pound ground beef
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
1 16 ounce can tomatoes, cup up
2 cups diced, peeled potatoes
1 10 ½ ounce can condensed beef broth
1 soup can water (1 1/3 cups)
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup cooked or leftover peas or green beans

Brown meat in large saucepan. Drain off fat. Add onion and celery; cook till vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in tomatoes, potatoes, beef broth, water, chili powder, salt and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and cook till potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in peas or beans; heat through. Makes 6 servings.

Changes and shortcuts:
I used some cooked ground beef that I had in the freezer and I used a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes with garlic and onion instead of the can of whole tomatoes. (I don’t think they were available when the book was written.) We don’t like peas in our house and I didn’t have any green beans on hand so I used a drained can of corn.

Results:
Using pre-cooked beef saved time. The tomatoes with garlic and onion gave a little extra flavor. I’m glad I used the corn—it seemed to go perfectly although the green beans or peas would be healthier. After the flop of the corn chowder this was a tasty, simple soup. The winds are raging outside tonight, but the soup was nice and warm. I served it with oven toasted cheddar and whole wheat sandwiches.

Keeper? Yes

52. Creole Tomato Soup

The first soup that I made was Creole Tomato Soup from the Better Homes and Gardens Soups and Stews cook book (ISBN 0-696-00445-3, which can be found at www.Amazon.com ). This recipe was “souper” easy! I get home from work late in the evening, so I’m always looking for something quick to make for dinner. I served this with some multi grain toast topped with melted cheese. There are just a few ingredients and the soup has a short cooking time.


Creole Tomato Soup

¼ cup sliced green onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 12 oz cans (3 cups) vegetable juice cocktail
1 cup water
¼ cup long grain rice
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 4½ oz can shrimp, drained and deveined

In a saucepan cook onion and garlic in butter or margarine until tender but not brown. Add vegetable juice cocktail, water, uncooked rice, sugar, salt, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer about 25 minutes or till rice is tender. Stir in shrimp. Heat through. Remove bay leaf before serving. Makes 4 servings.

Changes and shortcuts:

I chopped the green onion, minced the garlic, and measured the spices in the morning before going to work. Instead of using a can of shrimp, I used about a ¼ pound of small shrimp cut in half.


Result:
This recipe was quick and easy. It was good with the shrimp, but would be just as good without. Nice quick meal.

Keeper? YES