Homemade Vegetable Soup

Yesterday was the big day for making vegetable soup.  We make a big pot full and then freeze some for later use.  Now remember that I don’t know how to  cook with fast fixings  — most of what I use is home grown.

I use a large roaster as my pot and begin with two frozen quarts of tomatoes.  To this I had a quart of field peas and then another quart of okra (add a little water to get it started).  Here I add salt (just guess at it and then taste later), two tablespoons of dried onion and two teaspoons of garlic powder.  I suppose you can use an onion, but my picky husband doesn’t like to see the onion floating in the soup. Duh!  I let this simmer a bit and then I sear one pound of ground beef (and isn’t it expensive?) in a little oil and pour it all in the soup pot.  Here again I leave it simmer while I peel three or four (depending on the size) potatoes and dice them to be added to the mixture.  Along the way I add one can of condensed tomato soup with a can of water.  Now I add one large can of Veg-All.  When the potatoes are done I add a can of whole kernel corn.  Here one has to be careful and stir often — using lower heat, as the corn is prone to stick.  After this has simmered a bit I add two or three hands full of macaroni and about two tablespoons of sugar.  As I understand it sugar enhances the flavor.  This mixture may be too thick and if so I add a half quart of home canned tomato juice.  Yum!!  To have this with a pone of cornbread for a meal is enough for anybody.  Would you believe neither of my girls will eat vegetable soup?  They just don’t know what’s good.

I can’t make a little pot of soup — I don’t know how.  From yesterday’s making we had lunch, I kept some out for another meal and we put five quarts in the freezer.  When I take a bag from the freezer to use I add a can of condensed tomato soup and a can of water.  That’s an easy meal.

Good ole home cooking has to be one of the best parts of country living.