Dishin' from the Kitchen: Jacklyn's Vegetable Beef Soup

This is one of my favorite go-to meals when I'm in the mood for comfort food. I've altered it slightly over the years, omitting celery when my daughter professed a deep and abiding hatred for it, leaving out the Lima beans when I didn't have them. It's versatile and hearty and great for a cool evening.

Jacklyn's Vegetable Beef Soup

3 pounds beef stew meat
1 pint plus 2 ounces tomato juice (I like to use V-8 Juice -- gives the soup great flavor)
1/3 cup onion, diced (I've been known to just dice the whole onion rather than mess around with the leftover parts)
4 teaspoons salt (or salt to taste)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
1 pound canned tomatoes (you can use diced tomatoes if you don’t like big chunks)
1 cup diced celery
1 can corn
4-5 potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces (use more or less, to taste.)
6-8 carrots cut into bite-sized pieces (or use the little pre-peeled carrots and eyeball how many you put in.)
1 package frozen baby lima beans (optional)

Brown the stew meat -- don't cook through, just sear the outside. Combine the juice, onion, Worcestershire sauce, seasonings and 6 cups of water in a large kettle.

Add the stew meat and simmer on low heat for 2 hours.

Add vegetables and cover. Simmer for 1 more hour.

Serve with crusty rolls and butter. Yummy! and it makes enough to last for a while.