Beef and Vegetable Soup

"This is a satisfying, very easy, and delicious vegetable soup to serve anytime of the year. Serve with saltine crackers and chunks of sharp cheese."

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 4 carrots, diced
• 4 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole tomatoes, crushed

• 1 (15 ounce) can peas, undrained
• 1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can green beans, drained and rinsed
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1 bay leaf, or more to taste
• 1/4 cup water, as needed

Directions

1. Crumble ground beef into a stockpot over medium-high heat; cook and stir until beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain and discard any excess grease.
2. Stir carrots, celery, and onion into the ground beef; cook and stir until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes, tomato sauce, crushed whole tomatoes, undrained peas, corn, and green beans to the pot; season with black pepper. Stir mixture until evenly mixed. Add thyme and bay leaf to the pot. Pour 1/4 cup water over the mixture if needed to moisten mixture, replenishing as needed while cooking.
3. Bring soup to a simmer, place a cover on the pot, and cook, stirring regularly, until potatoes are tender, about 1 hour.