Although the idea of a slow cooker is a good idea, it requires too much forethought for my life most days. Instead, the Dutch oven has come to my rescue over and over because I can crank the heat and cook supper in the nick of time. Here's my latest favorite soup that uses up all those extra veggies you don't know what to do with that are sitting in the fridge (or freezer).
It's very forgiving, so use whatever you have in whatever quantities you have.
Easy Hamburger Soup
In your Dutch oven, brown and break up into small pieces:
2-3 lbs. ground beef/meat (mine is usually still in the frozen state when I start)
1 onion, finely chopped
When that is browned, add 6-8 cups of beef broth/bone broth, keeping heat on med/high.
Then add vegetables of choice. Our kids love it with just a bag of frozen peas added (which I do for a quick lunch, as it's so easy using leftover ground beef). For supper I usually add many more vegetables to make it into a full meal. Add the ones that take longest to cook first and the green leafy ones right at the end.
-cut green beans or peas
-fresh chopped tomatoes
-finely chopped cabbage
-bell peppers
-frozen vegetables of any sort
-celery
-carrots
-cauliflower (fresh or frozen)
-beets or potatoes are even good
-chard or spinach sliced finely (I even pulse it up in my blender sometimes so the kids eat it easier and add it right at the very end to retain the most nutrients.
If you're fighting infection, add a few cloves of chopped up garlic right at the end to keep the most infection fighting components intact. You can also add herbs/spices such as basil, oregano, parsley, thyme for more seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste.
