Rice-A-Roni Beef Vegetable Soup

#fabin40
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 lb sirloin or other tender stew cut, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 package Rice-A-Roni Beef flavored rice
3 medium carrots sliced
3 medium stalks of celery sliced
½ red pepper diced
1/3 yellow onion diced
1 C tomato juice
4 ½ C water (more if needed)
Splash of Worcestershire sauce
2 C purple kale, rough chopped
2 T butter
1 T oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated parmesan cheese to garnish

Method:

• In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter and then add the oil. Add the rice mixture from the package and sauté for a minute or two until you see some browning of the vermicelli bits in the pan. Add the meat and continue to stir and brown the meat for only about 3 more minutes. You don’t want to burn the rice/vermicelli and you won’t be able to sear the meat. Just start the browning process. Then add the carrots, onion, red pepper and celery, Worcestershire, half the tomato juice, 3 C of the water and the packet contents on the Rice-A-Roni mix. Stir well and bring again to a boil. Cover with the lid sitting on the top askew a bit to allow a bit of steam to be released, and turn on low to let simmer for about 20 minutes. When you remove lid it will be more of a risotto looking soup. Add the rest of the water, and the rest of the tomato juice, taste and season. Then add the chopped kale, and return to a slow simmer only to bring to temperature, not to cook. When hot, serve! Can garnish with a little parmesan cheese if you like!