MOM'S BEEF VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• 1. COOKING THE ROAST BEEF: Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• 2. Rub salt on the round beef roast. Put it in a Dutch oven. Add the dry onion soup mix and water.
• 3. Bake in oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Check water level periodically; it is important to maintain the original water level throughout the time the roast is in the oven--add water as needed.
• 4. Cook 2 more hours or until you can easily strip a piece of the beef with the grain of the beef.
• 5. Remove from the oven and let the roast cool in the pan until you can easily touch it. Refrigerate. Let any fat on the broth solidify.
• 6. Remove pan from the refrigerator, remove any congealed fat from the broth, and slice the meat against the grain into thin slices, discarding any fat on the roast. Reserve the broth for the soup.
• 7. Alternately, use this recipe for cooking the beef. https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/beef/italian-beef-12.html?r=1. I have been using Italian Beef for my vegetable soup, and I like the results.
• 8. Using the sliced meat, cut 2 cups into small pieces and set aside for the vegetable soup. Use the rest for another purpose: hot beef sandwiches, barbecue, hash, etc.
• 9. COOKING THE VEGETABLE SOUP: When you are ready to cook the soup, heat a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add oil and chopped onion. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add diced carrots. Sauté for 2-3 more minutes.
• 10. In a small pan, cook the diced celery in water until the celery is tender. (I like to cook the celery separately so that it or the other vegetables are not overcooked.) When the celery is tender, reserve it and its cooking water.
• 11. To the pot with cooked onions and carrots, add the reserved beef broth from the roast, dried parsley, and diced potatoes. Cover and cook for about 6-7 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.
• 12. Immediately, add the frozen corn and peas, stopping the cooking of the potatoes and carrots. Add the cooked celery and its water and the reserved diced beef roast to the soup pot.
• 13. Pour the can of stewed tomatoes into a blender and blend. Add the blended stewed tomatoes and the petite diced tomatoes to the soup pot.
• 14. Heat until all the ingredients are hot and the flavors blend, about 5-10 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed.
• 15. We like our vegetable soup served with shredded cheddar and oyster crackers.
• 16. Note: If you like more broth for your soup than cooking the beef yields, cook a package of onion soup mix in a good quality beef broth, and use as much as you like.