5-Star Soup in 16 Steps

I do not claim to be a great cook. However, several years ago my mom explained to me in great detail how to make a tomato-based soup, and I have been making it ever since. I’ll now share this recipe with you. I call it my 5-Star Soup because it is:

1. fun and easy to make
2. affordable
3. freezes well
4. VERY good for you
5. delicious

For those of you more experienced cooks, my 16 Steps may seem a bit much, but I tried to explain it the way I appreciate having things explained to me…detailed, with pictures, and no assumptions that I know how to do any of this.

Here we go…

Step - 1 Gather your tools.

You will need:

a large pot (Often called a “Dutch Oven.”)

a large spoon or spatula (I like to use the plastic pancake flipper kind.)

a cutting board

a sharp knife

a ladle

plastic containers for freezing (I always use frosting containers.)

a permanent marker

a blender (I got mine as a bridal shower gift from my late Grandma Loss. I suggest you shop Thrift Stores if you decide to buy one. Otherwise you could ask to borrow one from any apron-clad housewife.)

Step 2 – Gather your Ingredients

16 small tomatoes (the size of billiard balls or smaller) or 12 large ones (the size of tennis balls or larger)

½ to 1 lb. ground beef (Also known as hamburger. The more you use the heartier your soup will be, but the less healthy it will be!)

any or all of the following fresh veggies: onion, celery, garlic, carrots, beans, potato

any or all of the following frozen veggies: beans, carrots, corn, peas

5 cans of tomato soup. You don't need them now, but I do think it's a good idea to add a can of tomato soup for extra flavor and fullness when you're making some for a meal.

Step 3 – Brown the ground beef in the pot. Smash it with your spatula or spoon while frying it over medium heat.

Step 4 – Pour off the grease. WARNING: Don’t pour it down the drain or it will clog your pipes. And don’t pour it into an empty garbage can or it will melt through your trash bag and make an awful mess.

Step – 5 Chop up onions, celery, and/or garlic and add to pot.

NOTE: At this point you may need to turn off the heat, because it’s time to work on the tomatoes and you don’t want your meat and veggies to burn.

Step – 6 Wash your tomatoes.

Gently rub them under cool running water. Use your finger nail to remove dirt.

Step 7 – Cut out the stem.

Like most of my photos, this is a two-handed job, but I needed one hand to take the picture.

Step 8 – Slice the tomato into chunks.

You can quarter the small ones, but large tomatoes may need to be cut into 6 or 8 pieces.

Step 9 – Chop them in the Blender.

Add the tomato chunks to your blender. Fill it about ¾ full (no more than 4 tomatoes worth), put the cover on, and use the pulse button to chop the tomatoes in short bursts until all large chunks have been chopped and you don’t hear any violent cutting any more.

NOTE: Sometimes the chunks get stuck above the blades, and you need to push them down. To do so, simply remove the cover, and use the handle of any kitchen tool to push the tomatoes down toward the blades. Replace the cover, and try again.

Step 10 – Add tomatoes to pot.

Slowly pour the tomato mixture into your pot with the meat and veggies. If you notice any large junks of tomato, fish them out and return them to the blender to be chopped with the next batch.

Repeat steps 6 – 10 until all your tomatoes are now chopped and in the pot. If you have not already done so, return your pot to the stove, and turn the burner to medium.

Step 11 – Cook and stir for 30 minutes.

Your soup now needs to simmer for 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it and stir it every 5 or 10 minutes to prevent stuff from sticking to the bottom and to insure it all cooks evenly. If the soup bubbles so violently that it makes a lot of noise and splatters all over the stove, you’ll need to turn the heat down. If it doesn’t look like it’s doing anything, you’ll need to turn the heat up.

TIP: You may notice a layer of foam develop on the surface of your soup. Go ahead and skim this off with your spatula or spoon. Nobody likes frothy soup. And you don’t need to hover over your pot the entire 30 minutes. Work on your crossword puzzle, sort through your mail, or better still, clean up the mess you’ve made so far. As mom always says, “Clean as you go!”

This is also a good time to add seasonings, however I would caution you not too add too much salt, if any. Herbs and other flavorings are fine, but later you’ll be adding a can of prepared tomato soup which has plenty of salt in it.

Step 12 – Add fresh veggies.

After your soup has simmered for 30 minutes or so it’s time to add the fresh veggies, such as carrots, beans, and/or potatoes. I usually only add one unpeeled potato at this point since the other veggies are included in my bag of frozen vegetables. Chop it into little chunks and plop them into your pot. Stir.

Step – 13 Add frozen veggies

As you’ve probably figured out by now, there’s no real measuring when you make soup. That’s why it’s such fun. Each batch is unique! So when you add your frozen veggies, if you decide to do so, you can put in whatever kind you want, in whatever amount you want. I added about 2 cups to this batch. Stir.

Step 14 - Cook 15 - 20 more minutes. (Until the potatoes are done.)

Doesn’t that look good!

Step 15 – Remove from heat.

Let it cool. I wait about a half an hour before I put the soup into my plastic containers. If you try to do it when it’s hot, it’s just too hot to handle.

Step 16 – Ladle it into containers.

Using your ladle, carefully pour the soup into your plastic freezer containers. Cover, label the lid with the date and contents, and freeze.

NOTE: One large pot of soup usually is enough to fill 5 - 2 cup containers. But that doesn’t mean it makes 5 servings! Read on…

LATER…

Here’s how to heat and serve your 5-Star Soup:
1. Thaw out one container. (Either put it in your fridge for a day or two, or microwave it.)
2. Place it in a medium sauce pan.
3. Add one can of tomato soup and one can of water.
4. Heat and serve.

NOTE: One fifth of the entire batch (or one 2-cup container's worth) when prepared with the extra can of tomato soup, makes 4 large bowls of soup. So the entire batch of 5-Star Soup ends up making 20 servings, at around 50¢ a serving!