New Orleans Hamburger Soup

When I was a kid I lived in New Orleans for several years and one of our next door neighbors, Mrs. Pettibone, used to make this soup all the time. During the fall months, every day around lunchtime, she'd walk out into the backyard where we were playing, clang her soup ladle against the lid of a pot and cry, "Children! Come and get some hamburger soup now! Y'hear what I say!  Come now and eat this soup!!"  Food always gives us such delicious memories, eh?

This is a recipe that I would classify as being very basic as it lends itself to experimentation so feel free to add your own eccentric touches!

 Ingredients:

• 1 TBS unsalted Butter
• 2 lb Ground Beef
• 2 cloves fresh Garlic, diced fine
• 1 large Spanish Onion, chopped medium coarse
• 2 large Carrots, peeled & chopped medium coarse
• 2 stalks Celery, leaves removed & chopped medium coarse
• 2 Red Potatoes, peeled & cut into small cubes
• 10 cups Beef Stock  Note: For my stock recipe, go HERE
• 1 can Crushed Tomatoes (16 oz)

Dry Spice Mix:

1 tsp Kosher Salt

1/2 tsp dried Basil

1/2 tsp dried Oregano

1 tsp Paprika

1/2 tsp Butcher Cracked Black Pepper

1 small Bay Leaf, crumbled up

Cooking Procedure:

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat

Add the onion & garlic

Cook this down until the onions turn clear

Add the meat

Lightly brown the meat & using a fork...

break up any lumps in the meat as it cooks

Add the dry spice mix, carrots & celery

Stir well & cook this down for 10 minutes

Add the potatoes, beef stock & crushed tomatoes

Let this come to a boil

Stir well

Skim & discard any excess grease & foam

that forms on the top of the soup

Reduce heat to low

Let the soup simmer for 1 hour

"Y'hear what I say!  Come now and eat this soup!!"