CAJUN VEGETABLE SOUP

Prep Time: 3 Hours
Yields: 12 Servings

Comment: 
Vegetables were always canned or jarred during the spring and summer months to ensure a good supply over the winter. Often, when the weather started to turn cold, I remember a huge pot of this vegetable soup on the stove available for tasting all day.

Ingredients:
3 pounds bone-in soup meat, shank or round
¼ cup butter
1 cup coarsely chopped onions
1 cup coarsely chopped celery
1 cup coarsely chopped green bell peppers
1 cup sliced carrots
¼ cup minced garlic
4 quarts beef stock
1 pint diced tomatoes
8 ounces tomato sauce
6 red potatoes, cubed
1 cup whole kernel corn
1 cup lima beans
1 cup black-eyed peas
1 cup red beans
2 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
1 (12-ounce) package vermicelli
salt and cracked black pepper to taste
granulated garlic to taste

Method: 
In a 2-gallon stockpot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Sear meat to nice brown coloring then add onions, celery, bell peppers, carrots and garlic. Sauté 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add beef stock, tomatoes and tomato sauce and cook until meat is fork-tender, about 2½ hours. Add potatoes, corn, beans, peas and cabbage. Cook an additional 15 minutes. Add spaghetti and continue cooking until spaghetti is tender. Season to taste using salt and cracked black pepper. Additional beef stock may be added to retain the volume of liquid. You may also wish to add any variety of your favorite vegetables to this recipe.