Slow Cooker "Hamburger" Soup

My mom is my biggest source of new recipe ideas. Usually she sends me a PDF of a recipe she scanned with a note, “a blogging idea?” But I took special notice when she sent me this recipe of hers she wrote on it, “****” and started her email with the words, “This is a keeper” I couldn’t agree more.

I like this recipe because it uses lean ground beef instead of stew meat. My boys, especially G, don’t chew big chunks of meat particularly easy, so the ground beef makes it easier for their little (and somewhat lacking in molars) mouth to eat. I also like the ground beef in this recipe because we call it hamburger soup, much more appealing to little ones than “Beef and Vegetable Winter Soup.”

It’s all in the marketing.

Slow Cooker Beef and Vegetable Winter Soup (aka, Hamburger Soup)

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium sweet (Vidalia, for example) onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound lean ground beef
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 pound carrots, diced
1 pound parsnips, diced*
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
1 – 14 ounce can reduced sodium beef broth
1 – 12 ounce bottle beer (you may use non-alcoholic beer)

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat and add the onions and garlic, cook for 3-4 minutes and add the ground beef. Cook until the meat is fully browned. Sprinkle with the flour and stir well to coat (this is going to work to slightly thicken the broth while cooking). You may do this the night before if you wish and have it ready to go into the slow cooker in the morning.

Combine the meat mixture and all the remaining ingredient into the slow cooker and set on low for 8-9 hours or high for 5-6 hours.

Serves 6-8

SPC
*Parsnips are not a usual kiddie favorite vegetable, but they are delicious! They taste like a slightly sweeter and mellow carrot. Yum!