Best-Ever Vegetable Beef Soup

Serves 6 to 8

Alice Santala

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
2 cups onions, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
6 cups water
3 tablespoons beef bouillon powder
28 oz can tomatoes, undrained & chopped
7 ½ oz can tomato sauce
½ cup pasta stars or alphabets
2 bay leaves

2 tsp. chili powder, or less

2 tsp. basil

1 tsp. salt
Dash pepper
Two 14 oz cans green beans, drained

Instructions

Brown ground beef in large heavy saucepan.  Drain off excess fat.  Add onions, celery and carrots.  Cook, stirring for 5 minutes.  Add all remaining ingredients, except green beans.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 50 minutes.
Add green beans and heat until beans are warm and the pasta and vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and discard bay leaves. Serve.