Grandma's Slow Cooker Beef and Vegetable Soup

My grandma made this soup. She said it was something they made way back when, out of whatever they had available in their garden and shelves. It is a large dish (they were a family of 10), so have a big pot or slow cooker! I have halved it and honed it a little since most of us use a grocery now and don't have 8 kids.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 6 hr
• Total Time: 6 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 362 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• ½ teaspoon celery seed
• 1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can green beans, drained
• 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 (15 ounce) can peas, drained
• 1 clove garlic, minced, or to taste
• 1 (32 fluid ounce) container beef broth, or more if needed
• 3 carrots, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 large stalk celery, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Stir the beef broth, carrots, celery, parsley, celery seed, and bay leaves into a slow cooker set on High, cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 2 hours.

Step 2

Place the ground beef, onion, and garlic into a skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently to break the beef into small pieces, until the onion is translucent and the beef is browned and no longer shows pink areas, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain off fat, and stir the stewed tomatoes into the beef mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes are broken up into small pieces.

Step 3

Stir the potatoes, corn, green beans, and peas into the soup in the slow cooker, and add the beef mixture. Stir everything together, cover, and set the slow cooker on High. Cook for 4 hours.