Easy clean out the fridge soup - and pretty economical, too
While i have specific veggies in this list - you can use whatever you have/want in this recipe - it's really flexible
Bring a few cups of water to boil in your dutch oven. Core your tomatoes and cut an x in the bottom. Drop into the boiling water for a few minutes, then dunk in ice water. When they've cooled int he ice water - peel them. Tomato peel doesn't cook nicely and gets slimy - this keeps your soup "cleaner"
Once your tomatoes come out of the water - dump it out and dry your dutch oven
Add 1 Tbsp Olive Oil and when it's hot add in the onion, celery and Green Pepper
Saute the veggies until soft - add in Garlic and heat through for a few minutes
When the garlic is fragrant, add in your ground beef and break it up with your mix n chop (my favorite pampered chef tool) or a wooden spoon. I screwed up and added the potato and carrot before the beef so just pushed it off to the side and browned the beef in the other half of the pan.
Once your beef is browned - drain if necessary - I use pretty lean beef. Add in the carrots, potato, and beef bouillon. Stir and heat through - then add in approximately 8 cups of water (give or take - depends upon how many veggies you had)
i bring this up to a boil and add in my tomatoes and salsa. The salsa is a bit of heat and kicks up the flavor. If you don't want to add tomatoes - don't - but a little acid will enhance the flavor profile of your soup. A couple of splashes of red wine vinegar or lemon juice can accomplish the same thing. Soups benefit from the 4 elements of good food (according to Samin Nosrat - Salt, Fat, Acid, and Heat)
Turn down to a simmer and cook until the potatoes and carrots are soft.
Serve with crackers, biscuits, or our favorite way - a crusty grilled cheese sammich!