Chunky Beef Noodle Soup

It was a rainy weekend in Halifax two weeks ago and Steve and I felt that we needed a good hearty meal for our Sunday night supper (this was even after we had spent the afternoon at Greek Fest and tried all of those delicious dishes!). We flipped through our cook books, magazines, and favorite recipe websites and finally agreed to make a soup from the Taste of Home -Winning Recipes cookbook.

Steve and I had never made soup before, but we felt that after stuffing chicken and making our own sushi, we could probably handle a soup. We read over the ingredients and were happy to learn that we already had all of the ingredients in our kitchen and wouldn't have to make a special trip to the grocery store (I think everyone enjoys those 'small wins' in life when things just work out really easily and don't require any extra steps).

Here are the ingredients that we used:

• 1 pound of boneless round steak, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil,
• 2 cups water
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• We used two tomatoes
• 1 can (10-1/2 ounces) condensed beef consomme, undiluted
•  1-2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup uncooked spiral pasta
• We used penne
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

And here is how we brought it all together:

1. In a large saucepan, cook the round steak, onion and garlic in oil until the meat is browned and the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in water, tomatoes, consomme, and seasonings; bring to a boil.
3.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours and until meat is tender.
4. Stir in pasta and green peppers.
5. Simmer, uncovered, until noodles are tender, about 8 minutes.
6. Add parsley.
   This recipe makes about 8 servings.

We loved this soup! It was so easy but was exactly what we were looking for - tasty and hearty. Because it made 8 servings we were able to enjoy it for a few days too - always an added benefit of a large dish that you really like.

Next time there is a rainy weekend I recommend you give this recipe a try - hopefully we will have great weather in Halifax this summer and you won't need to try it for a few months.

Bon appetit & enjoy!

This recipe is from:
Taste of Home - Winning Recipes / Reader's Digest Book
Reiman Media Group Inc. 2010
Soups & Chili
Chunky Beef Noodle Soup
Page 83