Rustic Italian Beef and Tomato Soup

This simple beef based meal-soup recipe has two unlikely ingredients: tomato juice and day-old bread. The bread is an old-fashioned no-fat trick for thickening. A half cup (125 mL) of tomato juice represents one Food Guide Serving of vegetables.

Recipe courtesy of Canadian Beef – www.makeitbeef.ca

Makes 8 servings
Prep: 15 min. Cook: 30 min.

What you need:

2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced into half rounds
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried rosemary, crumbled
1/4 tsp (1 mL) EACH salt and pepper
3 cups (750 mL) tomato juice
1 cup (250 mL) sodium-reduced beef broth
2 cups (500 mL) slivers of thinly sliced cooked roast beef OR cooked Extra Learn Ground Beef (see Cook’s Notes below)
3 cups (750 mL) large cubes day-old baguette, French stick, or ciabatta bread
1/4 cup (50 mL) Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese, grated
1/4 cup (50 mL) fresh basil or parsley, minced

How you prepare:

Heat oil over medium-high heat in large saucepan; cook onion, carrots, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.
Add tomato juice, beef broth and 1 cup (250 mL) water; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add beef and bread; stir until bread has ‘melted’ into soup and soup thickens, about 8 minutes. Stir in cheese and basil.

Notes:

Cook’s Notes: To get 2 cups (500 mL) cooked ground beef, cook 1 lb (500 g) Extra Lean or Lean Ground Beef Sirloin or Ground Beef in non-stick skillet, over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking into small chunks with back of spoon while cooking. Cook until browned and completely cooked. Drain.