Prepare yourselves for witches, bats, and superheroes too; goblins, fairies, and ghosts that say Boo! It’s Halloween today peeps. In the spirit of the day, here is a t-shirt I saw at the grocery store that made me smile.
I thought it appropriate to share my mom’s recipe for Vampire Soup, a quick and healthy meal for holiday fun, especially when you want a different default than the traditional chili. And since we’re speaking of vampires, I just had to share this as well–
Okay, if victim vampires aren’t scary enough, let’s move onto the reason for this post (ha, ha)–the quick and easy soup recipe–
Vampire Soup (aka Vegetable Beef and Barley)
Ingredients
- 1 pound (1/2 kg) extra lean stew meat [cut into small chunks] (You can use chicken as well)
- 1 onion
- 3-4 cups (24-32 oz) beef broth [or water with 3-4 beef bouillon cubes]
- 1 package frozen mixed vegetables
- 1/4-1/2 head cabbage [finely diced]
- 1 can (15 oz. or 425 grams) tomato sauce
- 1 can (14.5 oz or 411 grams) stewed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup other family favorite vegetable (Cauliflower and beets are good).
- 1/4-1/2 cup quick-cooking barley
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Season stew meat with salt and pepper and brown with onion in a large heated pot along with approximately 3-4 Tablespoons of butter.
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Once meat is lightly browned on the outside, pour enough broth (or water with bouillon) over it to barely cover the top of the meat (approximately 3-4 cups).
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Cover and boil on medium until meat is tender (about 30 minutes). This helps the meat become soft and tender.
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Add cans of tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, barley, cabbage, and vegetables. Simmer on medium until veggies are soft. Add more broth or water to your liking and season with salt and pepper to taste.
If you don’t like the fact that vampires are associated with this or that there is a vague connection to blood, you can also call this recipe “vegetable beef and barley soup”–a bit boring, but it’ll do. You’ll be thanking me for this one-pot wonder when you’re short on time dealing with costume craziness trying to get out of the house to trick-or-treat.
And no worries about making it even after Halloween has passed. It’s the perfect soup to warm you up on a cold Fall night. Dress it up with a salad or add some hot rolls.
You can also throw the ingredients in a crockpot to simmer all day or cook the meat in an Instant Pot and add the remaining ingredients and simmer until done. It’s so versatile. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Wishing you all a fun and safe Halloween today! Enjoy 🙂