Even in the Sunshine State, we can have a few days here and there where the weather fails to deliver the warmth. Cold and rainy days at home are the perfect time to experiment with different soup recipes, using Florida Raised grass-fed fresh ground-beef!
We talked to some of our staff and asked them about their favorite recipes, and we’d like to share some really interesting suggestions. Remember that using free grass-fed beef means that you can cook a larger pot of soup and freeze some in smaller portions. Your homemade soup will beat any store bought prepared soup hands down, so get ready to create something healthy in your kitchen with these 7 savory soup suggestions.
1. Creamy Potato & Hamburger Soup
This delicious and thick soup is going to make you rethink ever buying another can of prepared soup at the grocery store. It’s a snap to make, and the perfect ‘rainy day’ or cold weather soup and a true comfort food meal. We recommend using fresh parsley instead of dried herbs in this recipe; the parsley flavors will penetrate the ground-beef and elevate your taste buds.
Tip: When you are making a ground-beef soup that features potatoes and you want to have an extra creamy texture, make sure to choose Russet potatoes. Some types of the vegetable (such as red potatoes) stay firm in the crockpot or during boiling, and you want the starches to actually break down and thicken the soup.
Source: The Kitchen Magpie
2. Cheeseburger Soup
Maybe it’s the name of this recipe, but there is no question that kids love the idea of eating a ‘cheeseburger soup’. This recipe is full of amazing flavors and uses a chicken broth or consume as a base, but some Velveeta added in brings all the satisfaction of a cheeseburger into one soup recipe that we’re sure your entire family will love.
Tip: You can garnish this soup with about 3 tablespoons of cheddar to enhance the visual appeal of a true cheeseburger soup. We recommend using a sharp cheddar, for that extra zing. While the recipe calls for only ½ pound of ground-beef, you can double the amount to a full pound (and all the ingredients) and have some really delicious left-overs you can take to the office.
Source: The Recipe Critic
3. Beefy Mexican Rice Soup
This soup goes the distance, and it’s perfect any time of the year. If you love Mexican food, you’re going to really enjoy all the flavors going on in this easy to prepare and authentic Mexican Rice Soup recipe. If you have been looking for a way to add more healthy lentils into your diet, this is a pain-free way to get those proteins and extra fiber, thanks to black beans which become tender in the broth.
Tip: We suggest increasing the amount of fresh cilantro you prepare and reserving some as a delicious topping when you serve the soup. The smell and taste of cilantro adds that extra authenticity, and additional vitamins, nutrients and healthy antioxidants.
Source: Tastes of Lizzy T
4. Old Fashioned Beef Tomato and Macaroni Soup
This is a recipe that tastes like something your Mom might have made, and it’s a crowd pleaser you should try this week. While tomato sauce can be a little tarte in a homemade soup, this Chef has added some brown sugar which combines so well with the onions, ground-beef and the fresh basil, oregano and thyme. And if you are crazy about noodles in your soup, you’re going to really love the macaroni, which absorbs all the great flavors.
Tip: No one likes soggy noodles in their soup; one of the most important things you can do when cooking this kind of recipe is to make sure that you are preparing the noodles al dente. Most packages of pasta noodles will have a guideline for cooking al dente, but if they don’t, reduce the cooking time by about 3 minutes when the noodles are boiling. Remove one noodle (let it cool) and then taste test it; if it is a little chewy but not hard in the middle, it’s cooked al dente and ready to be added to your soup.
Source: Divas Can Cook
5. Lasagna Soup with Ground Beef
When garnished with some fresh ricotta cheese, this soup tastes just like the real thing. So if you love lasagna, you’re going to love this hearty recipe. While you may be tempted to skip a step and use fresh lasagna noodles, they are less dense and typically have less starch, and can fall apart in a soup broth. Stick to the traditional dried lasagna noodles and cook them ‘al dente’ which means leaving them a little under cooked; they will finish and become tender in the broth.
Tip: Since this delicious soup has all the amazing flavors of lasagna, consider serving it with crusty garlic bread to dip into the rich broth, and a side salad of fresh romaine and Caesar dressing. It’s a different but tasty spin on ‘Italian night’.
Source: What’s For Dinner?
6. Beefy Harvest Soup
Our Florida Raised grass-fed ground beef is perfect for this recipe, which calls for a lean variety. What we love about this recipe is that it incorporates some fresh smoked beef sausage, but you can also substitute with pork sausage (or spicy) to change the flavor profile. It’s fast and easy to prepare, as the recipe calls for frozen mixed vegetables, and the preparation time makes it a perfect mid-week dinner idea.
Tip: The cooking time for this recipe is calculated for use with fresh or completely thawed ground-beef. For food safety, don’t rely on the color of the ground-beef to determine whether it is cooked or not; use your meat thermometer to register an internal safe-eating temperature of 160°F.
Source: Beef: It’s What’s for Dinner®
7. Beef and Cannellini Bean Minestrone
Celebrity Chef Giada De Laurentiis created this delicious and hearty Italian soup, that is packed full of nutrients. With ground-beef and the addition of a full can of cannellini beans, it is a satisfying soup that has a lot of protein, and the fresh flavors of carrot and celery. Garnish it with a little fresh parmesan, and you have a lunch or dinner that rivals the entrée soup you would enjoy at a five-star Italian eatery.
Tip: Using canned beans offers more nutrients and is a fast and easy way to add thickness to your soup. Remember to thoroughly rinse any canned beans you incorporate into your recipes, to remove the residue and any bitterness in the natural bean broth.
Source: The Food Network