Sweet and Sour Vegetable Beef Soup

When I say I’m going to make a pot of soup, this is what usually shows up. We just love this hearty one-pot meal.


1  Tbs  olive or vegetable oil
1  small  beef pot roast 
2  qts  water
4  cubes  beef bouillon 
1  can  (28 oz)  crushed tomatoes
2  cups  V-8 or tomato juice
1  large  onion, diced
3  cloves  fresh garlic, minced
2  Tbs  Worcestershire sauce
2  bay leaves
7  drops  hot sauce
Freshly cracked pepper
1-2  tsp  salt
6  carrots, peeled, cut into chunks
1  large head  cabbage, cored and cut-up
6  med  potatoes, reds or Yukon Gold
3/4  cup  light brown sugar
1/2  cup  fresh lemon juice

In a large soup pot, brown the beef in the oil. Add onions and brown lightly. Add  water, bouillon, tomatoes, and  V-8 juice. Bring to a boil.  Add garlic, brown sugar, lemon juice, Worcestershire, bay leaves, hot sauce, and cracked black pepper. Simmer for about two hours. Taste to see if you need to adjust the sugar-lemon juice ratios.

Remove the roast from the pot; cool enough to handle. Cut into cubes and return to the soup pot.

Cook the whole potatoes (unpeeled) in a separate pot until not quite done. Cool, peel and cut into cubes. Set aside.

Add cabbage and peeled cut up carrots to soup. Simmer 30 min. or until tender. (The carrots will take less time than the cabbage, so you may want to add those 10 minutes into this timing.) Add the cooked potatoes and reheat briefly.