Recipe Background
Garbage Soup combines simple ingredients into a comforting, rich blend.
Garbage Soup, despite its unassuming name, is a hearty embrace in a bowl. The aroma of mixed vegetables mingling with the rich, savory notes of beef sets a comforting stage for what’s to come. Each spoonful is a medley of textures: tender potatoes contrast with the slight crunch from celery, and the tomatoes add both color and tang. Rosemary and thyme weave through it all, gently enhancing the flavors without overwhelming them.
Cooking this soup offers a delightful sense of flexibility—any combination of vegetables can be tucked into the simmering pot. A practical tip: crumble the ground beef as it cooks and the flavors will disperse evenly, ensuring no bite is left behind. This subtle technique might sound simple, yet it’s what brings it all together into a cohesive dish.
When shared among friends or family, the optional bacon garnish becomes the topic of playful debate: add it for a smoky finish or skip it for simplicity. The experience of this dish extends beyond taste, bringing a sense of warmth and connection. It celebrates creativity in cooking and the joy of making something inviting out of everyday ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 6 russet potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 2 cups mixed vegetables of your choice
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can beef broth
- water to taste
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1/8 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1/8 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1/4 tablespoon dried basil
- 1/2 pound bacon optional, cooked and crumbled, for serving
Directions
- In a large pot over medium heat, add the beef, the potatoes, the tomatoes plus their juices, the onions, the celery, the mixed vegetables, the beef broth, and enough of the water to just cover the mixture and stir to combine.
- Cover the pot and cook the soup, occasionally stirring the mixture and crumbling the beef, until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are soft, about 1 hour.
- Season the soup with the salt, the pepper, the rosemary, the thyme, and the basil and stir to combine.
- Serve the soup sprinkled with the bacon.
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