Soups on

When cold weather rolls around, out come all of the typical Autumn recipes. Chili, vegetable soup, and all of those other comfort foods that we seek this time of year. This past weekend we had our first frost and accordingly some very chilly temperatures. Thus, soup was on the stove. The recipe I am going to share with you comes from a Mennonite cookbook that I picked up while traveling in Pennsylvania Amish Country a number of years ago. Here I have it pictured with a couple of spoonfuls of grated Parmesan cheese on top, with a sprinkling of parsley. Grilled cheese is my favorite pairing with soup. The new Pepperidge Farm Sandwich Thins make a nice alternative to regular bread.


Autumn Soup

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
1 cup chopped onion
4 cups water
1 cup cut-up carrots
1 cup peeled and cubed potatoes
2tsp salt
1Tbsp Brown Bouquet Sauce (Gravy Master) do not eliminate this ingredient
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. basil
1 (28 oz.) can tomatoes with liquid (I used crushed tomatoes.)

In the bottom of a Dutch oven, brown meat. Drain excess fat, if needed. Add onions and stir in remaining ingredients, EXCEPT tomatoes. Heat to a boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add tomatoes with their liquid. Cover and simmer 10 minutes longer. Stir and serve.

**To this recipe I added two cloves of fresh, chopped garlic and a dash of parsley, white pepper, and a bit more salt to taste. I also added one more whole, peeled, cubed potato. They are my favorite in soups.

I hope you enjoy!