Simple Syrup Beef Vegetable Soup

Hello, chill in the air. How are you? I love you because you mean blankets, sweatshirts, comfy slippers, football, and soup. Especially when sick, soup is just so absolutely perfect for a lazy weekend meal. When you're under the weather and have a three year old using you are their own personal jungle gym, it is so nice to chop, mix, simmer, and enjoy. 

This recipe was a first for me - I have never used a simple syrup to  make soup before. I actually  read the recipe a few times to make sure that I was reading it correctly. Wow - it was amazing. The vegetables combined with the broth and sugar brought to a boil was absolutely amazing. I adapted the recipe slightly to include zucchini. 

Once the beef broth sugary mixture started to boil, I added three different types of tomatoes to give depth of flavor - I added half a cup of ketchup, one 5.5 ounce can of V8 vegetable juice, and a can of diced tomatoes. The balance was absolutely perfect. The sweetness of the brothy syrup and the tang from the tomatoes gave a wonderful flavor. Even DJ loved the soup. He grabbed his little spoon and attacked mine after eating all of his. 

 Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 medium onion, chopped1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon pepper2 cups broth
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained1 small can (5-1/2 ounces) V8 juice
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
1 cup chopped zucchini1 cup sliced carrots2 tablespoons sugar1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes2 teaspoons dried basil
1 bay leaf

Directions

In a large pot, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in salt and pepper. Set aside.

Add the potatoes, zucchini, and carrots to pot. Add sugar and broth. Bring to boil, stirring frequently. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium low and allow to simmer approximately 10 – 15 minutes.  

Add the remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer on low for approximately 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf before serving. 

Source: Beef Vegetable Soup, Taste of Home