With spring fully sprung and the unofficial start of summer over Memorial Day weekend just days away, my foodie mind has shifted in full gear towards fresh vegetables.  Once the warmer months of the year finally arrive, most of our meals consist of lean meats on the grill and fresh vegetables out of the garden.  However, I still enjoy a good soup slow cooking in the crock pot all day long, filling the house with a mouth-watering aroma of all the flavors marrying together, while enjoying the fresh country breeze blowing in through our windows.

My last creation on Crock Pot Wednesday involved a soup that took my love of fresh vegetables and beef and combined them for a savory meal on a beautiful spring day.  We haven’t had many nice days here in Northern Iowa until this past week and it was finally a day that T.J. and I could be outside playing and enjoying the beautiful weather.  Because of this, I didn’t want to waste time running into town to buy groceries for supper and was limited on the ingredients I had to choose from in the house.  For some reason, I was in the mood for a creamy soup with vegetables.  As I looked through our refrigerator and pantry, I found some key ingredients that would allow me to throw something together.  From this came Creamy Beef & Vegetable Soup!  It was perfect!  There was even enough left over for me to freeze for an easy meal on a busy night in the upcoming weeks.  Give this recipe a try.  It’s easy, delicious, and perfect for anytime of the year!

Here is what you’ll need on your grocery list:

**This recipe makes enough to serve 6 people**

1.5 lbs Stew Beef, cut into 1 inch cubes

4 (10.75 oz) cans Cream of Mushroom Soup (I like to use either the low sodium or Healthy Request versions)

2 cups Fresh Mushrooms, sliced

1 Onion, chopped

4 cups Broccoli

4 cups Cauliflower

2 cups Carrots, sliced

Dash of Ginger

1/2 tsp Oregano

1/2 tsp Basil

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/2 cup Milk

1/2 cup Water

Add all the ingredients to the crock pot.  Stir to combine.

Cook on Low 7-8 hours.

Serve & Enjoy!

This is a simple meal you can throw together in the morning before work and still have time to run errands or come home and play with your kids while the crock pot does the work.  Hope you enjoy this meal as much as we did!

Until next time…