Some times — although not very often — I dream of opening a café. It’s just one of those things I daydream about. Then the business side slaps me in the face, the long hours tire me out, and I quickly put that daydream aside. I have no mind for numbers and business, and place a high value on the freedom to travel on a whim.
Honestly, people who own restaurants are some of the most dedicated, hardworking people on the planet. And I am so thankful that I can benefit from their commitment, and enjoy delicious food without lifting a finger.
Large quantities of ingredients overwhelm me. Have you ever been in line behind someone with 50 pound bags of carrots or massive bags of rice at Costco or Sam’s Club? My brain begins to spin just thinking of the mathematical skills needed to multiply 2/3 cups by 500, or convert teaspoons to gallons. So, when I think of feeding a large group of people, I need it to be simple, and reliably delicious.
This beef and vegetable soup is easy to shop for, truly easy to make, and will satisfy even the most demanding of palates. It is gentle, tasty, filling, gluten and dairy free. A single batch of this soup serves 60 for just over $100, and if you have leftovers, they freeze and reheat beautifully. Seriously! Just look at all that goodness….
Our little country church is a bit of an anomaly. Other churches have bigger budgets, prettier buildings, and higher quality programming, but we are around 150 people who choose to do life together. One thing we “do together” is to fast during Holy Week. Then we gather on Maundy Thursday to break the fast together. A gentle meal — no dairy, gluten, or heavy spice — is perfect for getting the digestive system accustomed to working again. Thus this soup. I have also made it for work days at our house, when a gang of people from church and the neighborhood come to help us cut, split, stack, and haul firewood. It is perfect for nourishing and encouraging a crowd.
I do not have pots or frying pans large enough to make this recipe in my home, but rely on the commercial kitchen at church. However, I always bring my own knives, and enlist the assistance of at least one other person to make prep time quicker and “funner”. Dividing the ingredients between two large stock pots makes it easier to simmer to perfection. Next time you have a small army to feed, or want to freeze lots of meals for future crazy days, give this soup a try!
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Simple Beef and Vegetable Soup for a Crowd
- Yield: 60 1x
Description
Gentle on the stomach, tasty on the tongue, and makes everyone — even a small army — happy.
Ingredients
4 sirloin tip roasts, approximately 3 pounds each, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
3 – 5 pound bags yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small chunks
2 – 3 pound bags yellow onions, chopped
2 – 2 pound bags carrots, scrubbed and sliced
2 stalks celery (which means the entire bunch), scrubbed and sliced
2 heads garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
1 case (12 – 32 ounce boxes) beef broth
8 – 28 ounce cans diced tomatoes
5 – 1 pound bags green beans, cleaned and cut into 1” pieces
3 Tbsp pink himalayan salt
2 Tbsp black pepper
3 Tbsp dried parsley
3 Tbsp dried thyme
3 Tbsp dried basil
2 Tbsp dried oregano
Instructions
Trim and cut beef into bite-sized pieces. Season with 1 Tbsp salt and 1 Tbsp black pepper. In a large frying pan, cook meat in batches until browned, adding sliced garlic for the final couple minutes.
Begin heating half the beef broth in two large stock pots. Divide meat and garlic between the two pots.
Scrub and dice carrots, onions, celery, and potatoes (peeled only if it seems like the peel is really tough — yellow potatoes have a thinner peel). Divide between pots and allow to simmer, adding broth to cover veggies until all 12 boxes are used.
Add diced tomatoes, remaining salt and pepper, basil, thyme, oregano, and parsley. Simmer together until vegetables and meat are tender. Add trimmed green beans, and simmer another 10 minutes.
Season to taste.
Notes
This is a perfect recipe for employing a helper, or two to cut vegetables.
All the ingredients for this soup can be purchased for just over $100 in small town Minnesota, excluding the herbs.
