Vegetable Beef Soup with Mini Bow Tie Pasta

I am moving out of my house soon so I am on a mission to use up my pantry, fridge and freezer items.  This recipe was made using things I already had in the house - beef and stock from the freezer; veggies from my crisper drawer courtesy of my winter CSA; and the pasta and herbs from the pantry.  This recipe, like many soup recipes, can be changed based upon what you have or don't.  If you do not have turnips leave them out, if you do not have baby Bella's, use white button mushrooms, if you have some frozen green beans throw them in etc.  The soup is full of what I had on hand, so feel free to add your favorite veggies.  This soup makes 11 pints or 5.5 quarts of soup.  This recipe can be cut in half or thirds based on how much you have on hand.  I used organic ingredients here but conventional ingredients are good too.

Ingredients:

2 TBS olive oil divided into 1 TBS each

2.5 - 3 lbs stew beef cut into 1 inch pieces

Salt and pepper

3 celery stalks, medium diced

3 carrots, large diced

2 leeks, cleaned and sliced

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small turnip, medium diced

10 oz. baby Bella mushrooms, sliced

12 cups beef broth, homemade preferred

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp marjoram 

2 Bay leaves

2 tsp dried parsley

1 cup farfalline pasta (mini bow ties)

Here's how:

Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot on medium heat.

Add 1 TBS olive oil and heat until glistening.

Add 1/3 of he beef and brown on all sides. Salt and pepper the meat when you add it.

Remove the beef and repeat this with the next 1/3 and then the next 1/3.

Add the rest of the olive oil to the pot and add the celery, carrots, onion, leeks and garlic.  Salt and pepper he veggies.  Sauté 5 minutes.

Add one cup of the broth to the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot to get up all the brown bits.

Add the rest of the broth, mushrooms, turnips, dried herbs and bay leaves to the pot.

Simmer for 30 minutes. 

Add the pasta.

Turn the pot to low and stir to prevent the pasta from sticking.  Cook 20 minutes.

Check the pasta to make sure it is soft.

Serve or put into containers to refrigerate or freeze.