Beef and Vegetable Soup

Ground beef, pantry vegetables, and egg noodles in a basil-scented broth. Built almost entirely from cans, on the table in about half an hour, and it costs very little to feed six.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) low-sodium beef broth
• 1 can (14.5 oz) sliced carrots, drained
• 1 can (14.5 oz) cut green beans, drained
• 1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes, with their juice
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 cup cooked egg noodles

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a 4-quart pot over medium-high. Brown the ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks, until no pink remains and it reaches 160°F. Lift it out with a slotted spoon to a bowl, leaving the drippings behind.
2. Drop the heat to medium. Cook the onion and garlic in the drippings 3–4 minutes, until softened but still with a little bite.
3. Return the beef and add the broth, carrots, green beans, stewed tomatoes with their juice, and basil. Bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Reduce to low, cover, and simmer 10–15 minutes, stirring once or twice.
5. Stir in the cooked egg noodles and give them a minute to warm through.

Substitutions

• Fresh or frozen vegetables: use about 1¾ cups each of carrots and green beans; add them with the broth and simmer until tender, about 10 extra minutes.
• Ground turkey: works; brown it thoroughly and add a second teaspoon of basil.
• Other pasta or rice: a cup of any cooked small pasta or rice stands in for the egg noodles.
• Bigger batch: the recipe doubles cleanly in a 8-quart pot; freeze half.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days (noodles stored separately, per the tip above). Freezes well without the noodles for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stove over medium.

Serving suggestions

Crusty bread and butter. A little grated Parmesan over each bowl doesn't hurt either.

Adapted from the USDA MyPlate Kitchen collection.