The Soup that Eats Like a Meal

I'm all about the Um! Um! Good stuff. Seriously, I am NOT a soup person, so why is soup so appealing to me lately? Is it because my lazy bones have realized how easy it is to slap soup together in a slow cooker and walk away and come back to deliciousness a few hours later? Hmmm...I found this Hamburger Soup recipe on Diabetic Living. I made a few changes, and let me tell you...this takes soup in a whole other direction. All I had to do to get my 2 yr old to eat it was drain the broth and slap some American Cheese on top (cheeseburger soup? get it?). This is a very filling soup. I served it with some grilled cheese on fiber filled wheat bread, and couldn't finish my cup...

• 2 lbs extra lean ground beef or 1 lb extra lean ground beef, 1 lb. uncooked ground turkey breast. If you prefer less meat, use 1/2 lb of each or 1 lb. ground beef.
• 1 1/2 c chopped onion
• 1 large bag of frozen soup mix vegetables (mine had carrots, celery, potatoes, okra, lima and green beans)
• 6 c beef broth (lower sodium is what the recipe calls for, but I found that it lacked flavor)
• 2 c water
  
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained (if using less meat, use 2 cans)
  
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 medium potatoes, chopped about 2 cups (I omitted this step because I had potatoes in my veggie blend)
• Parmesan or other favorite cheese
  

1. Brown ground beef in skillet, drain. Pour beef, veggies, onion in the bottom of a 6 qt. slow cooker.
2. Pour in beef broth; add water. Sprinkle seasonings. Stir.
3. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Serve and sprinkle cheese over the top.

This makes a lot of food, but it is also freezeable. Enjoy!!