Wednesday was a cold, windy day. Definitely a soup day. We were going to be gone that afternoon, and so Mom, who always plans ahead, decided to make a soup in the crock pot and cook it all afternoon.

Because of various allergies in our family, we’re trying to cut back on wheat and dairy. We needed to make a soup with a non-milk base. Mom and I looked in the fridge to see what would go well in a soup. We had carrots, celery, and some beef. I found a recipe with some of those ingredients, and we added a few things, and left out a few things, stirred it all together in the crock pot, and hoped it would turn out all right. When we got home that evening, a wonderful smell greeted us at the door. The soup turned out very well  – it was delicious!

Now I just have to share the recipe with you. It’s super quick and easy. You can add or leave out anything in this soup. Tasty additions might include corn, black or garbanzo beans, barley, pasta, rice, other vegetables (fresh or canned)….be creative!

In a large pot, brown 1 pound of ground beef with some garlic salt. Place in crock pot.

Return pot to stove and add with a few tablespoons olive oil:
1 large onion
2 to 3 cups chopped carrots
2 to 3 cups chopped celery

Saute for 5-10 minutes, or until almost tender.

Put vegetables in crock pot, and add:
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes with juice
2 6-oz cans tomato paste
2 14.5-oz cans green beans
1 15.5-oz can kidney beans
6-8 cups of vegetable broth
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon rosemary

Stir it all together, and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. Serve with warm muffins, biscuits, or (like we did) cornbread. Enjoy! :)