Uncle Fred's Vegetable and Hamburger Soup

My Uncle Fred G. told me this is how he made a big kettle of vegetable soup.  He was 93 years of age when he shared this with me.    His very simple directions for making his tasty soup are as follows:

Brown about a pound of lean hamburger with about 1/2 cup chopped onion.  Drain, and set aside.

Take equal amounts of whatever vegetables you like-- such as celery, carrots, parsnips, and potatoes.  Some like to add cabbage, too.  Cut them up to be about 1/2" in size and put them into a kettle. 

Add salt (and pepper, too?) according to how many vegetables you have.  Add enough water to just cover. 

Let them cook for about 45-minutes or until almost soft.  Now, add the browned hamburger.  Fred added, "Sometimes I also add one can of peas and let this mixture cook for another 15 minutes."  Remove from the heat and enjoy.