"Accident" Soup (Beef and Vegetable Combo.)

Above:  Before I added liquids, 
everything looked like this!

Why in the world would I have named this 'Accident' Soup!?   Well, ... because I started out to make this one day only because I had over a pound of thinly sliced carrots, some chunked celery, onions and lean ground beef  sitting in the refrigerator and I needed wanted to use all of that for/in SOMEthing! 

I browned the hamburger with the onions and celery, added carrots, cubed potatoes and a few other things-- I really THOUGHT it would end up being more of a stew, but,  NOPE!!!--  it was a SOUP.   And, I say it was quite 'accidentally' GOOD!!!!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 and 1/2 lbs. lean hamburger
• 1 large onion, chopped or sliced
• 1-2 cups celery chopped into 1/2" pieces (leaves are good in it, too). 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
• 1 and 1/2 lb. carrots, sliced (mine were about 1/8" thick)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 of 15 oz. can beef broth
• 1 of 15 oz. can vegetable broth
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 6-8 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4" cubes (or smaller 1/2" cubes)

• 1/2 lb. soft kind of Velveeta type cheese (I think grated mild or medium cheddar would also work).  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Brown the hamburger with the onion and celery until meat is lightly browned and the vegetables are slightly tender.   Drain excess fat off. 
2. In large heavy-duty kind of stock pot or heavy dutch oven, combine meat/onions/celery and potatoes and sliced carrots.  Add the water and the two cans of vegetable broth and garlic powder.  Stir to mix.  Let this cook over medium heat while peeling and cubing the potatoes.
3. Add cubed potatoes.  Stir well.  
4. Cover and simmer until carrot slices and potatoes cubes are fork tender.   (BUT!!, my 'lazy way' of doing this is to put this into the oven at 350-degrees for almost an hour.  At this point in the preparation, I think this could also be put into a slow cooking crock pot on low for about six hours and it would turn out good, too.)
5. Just before putting into individual bowls, spread little chunks of cheese on the top and gently stir until it melts into the broth.

Extra note:  I knew my husband had to be leaving the house in a bit over an hour.  I put this together.  He was not quite finished with eating it when the missionaries came to get him.  He put it 'on hold' and then, when he got back home an hour later, he told the missionaries, "I'll go and finish my soup.  You want some, too?"  Even if it was nearing the middle of the afternoon, they said, "Sure!"   They loved it so much that they each took second helpings-- one of them wanted to know what the broth was made up of.  "Vegetable and beef broth, water, and some cheese  melted on the end."   Anyhow, this................ 'accidentally good' soup was a huge hit with them.   Just yesterday, the missionaries again mentioned having had this soup here a couple of weeks ago, and asked if the recipe was on my recipe blog.  Well,............. it IS,............ NOW!!!!