Hamburger Minestrone Soup

½- 1lb ground beef (we used ground turkey w/ some extra spices)
¼ cup chopped onions
1-cup raw cubed potatoes
1 cup sliced raw carrots
½ cup shredded cabbage
*celery, corn, and green beans
1 can kidney beans (I cook my own and use 3/4 cup cooked)
1 ½ quarts water
1 can tomatoes (I use Italian stewed)
¼ cup raw rice
1 bay leaf
½ tsp. Basil
2 tsp. Salt



In a kettle cook beef with onions until slightly brown, drain off fat. Add water and all vegetables. Bring to a boil. Sprinkle in rice and seasonings. Cover and simmer 1 hour (longer is better for flavor)

I add the kidney beans the last few minutes of cooking.

*I also like to add 1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped celery, corn, and green beans.
With the extra veggies this soup can get quite thick, so you may need to add extra water.

Split Pea Soup with Fresh Vegetables and Herbs

Serves 6

~

2 cups Split peas, rinsed and drained

4 cups water

3 bay leaves

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 medium carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

1 Tablespoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, ground

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 to 3 cups vegetable stalk

¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

½ cup Italian parsley, chopped

1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar

½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1. Place the split peas in a pot with the water and bay leaves. Cover, and simmer on medium-low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until it begins to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Add the carrots, celery and red bell pepper. Sauté-stir for a minute then add the dried thyme, rosemary and sea salt; sauté about 3-5 minutes more.

3. Add vegetables to cooked split peas. Then add the vegetable stock, stir well, and simmer over medium-low heat until the vegetables are tender. Add the fresh basil, parsley, white wine vinegar, and black pepper. Adjust salt and seasonings if necessary.

*Taken from the Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook

Creamy Lentil Soup

It may not be pretty, but it’s incredibly good.

Serves 12 (This is doubled from the original recipe)

4 cups Lentils

4 cups sliced Carrots

4 cups chopped onions

8 cups water

15 oz (2 cups) tomato sauce (I like to add a bit more)

1 cup uncooked rice

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

4 Chicken bouillon cubes or 4 Tablespoons Chicken Seasoning

Sauté onions and carrots in butter, (for extra flavor) till tender (you can skip this step and just add the onions and carrots along with the other ingredients to the soup pot) . Combine all ingredients in a medium pot. Bring to boil and simmer till rice and lentils are soft, about ½ an hour. Pierre with 8 cups of milk. Return to pan and heat till warm and serve.

Recipe from Quick Cooking