You know those days when you really want to eat a burger and fries, but don’t want the calories? This soup is the perfect solution. It’s hearty, filling, has red meat and potatoes, but won’t clog up the precious vessels that keep the ol’ ticker ticking. It’s super pliable – meaning – use whatever veggies you have in the fridge. Broccoli, carrots, celery, squash, kale, onions, etc. They all mix really well with the flavors here.

Recipe

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 3 medium / large potatoes – diced into 1/4″ pieces
• 1 onion – diced
• 2 stalks of celery – chopped
• 2 carrots – chopped
• 4 cloves garlic – minced
• 3 TBS chicken boullion
• 4 cups of water
• 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese (use whatever is in the fridge)
• 2 TBS cornstarch + 3 TBS water – cornstarch slurry (optional)
• 3 broccoli stalks – chopped into large pieces – optional
• 4 TBS fresh Rosemary, Thyme or Tarragon + stalks (dried is fine too)

I used broccoli stalks and the herbs in this recipe because I had them in the fridge and needed to use them. Feel free to omit, or sub in whatever is hanging out in your ice box!

Brown the ground beef, and drain, set aside. To the same pot, add your chopped onion, potatoes, garlic, broccoli stalks, carrots, celery and herb stalks. Saute until soft, then add in the bouillon. (You can also just use regular chicken broth and negate the extra water). Stir to combine. Slowly pour in the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add in your chopped herbs and simmer for 20-30 minutes to allow the flavors to marry. Add the cheese and allow to melt. If you like your soup thicker, feel free to add in a cornstarch slurry. You can also smash up a few of the potatoes if you’d like! Totally up to you.

Ladle into bowls and dig in!

Bon Appetit!

Tip – to make the cornstarch slurry, use a separate container (with a lid) and add the ingredients together. Shake vigorously till combined. Slowly pour into the soup and whisk for a minute or two.