Venus de Milo Soup

This my version of a popular soup served at a well-known banquet facility in southeastern Massachusetts. It is simple to prepare using common ingredients you may already have on hand in your pantry and freezer. Feel free to vary the basic recipe with in-season fresh veggies and low-fat turkey or veggie-soy burger for the ground beef.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Calories: 254 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small onion, minced
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 quarts water
• ½ (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• 2 beef bouillon cubes
• ⅔ cup orzo pasta

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Cook the ground beef in a large pot over medium heat until completely browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain as much fat from the beef as possible. Add the onion and garlic to the beef; cook and stir until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

Step 2

Add the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, onion soup mix, beef bouillon cubes, bay leaf, mixed vegetables, and water to the ground beef mixture. Raise heat to medium-high, and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir the orzo pasta into the boiling liquid; cook until the orzo is tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to serve.