Vegetable Beef Soup

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium heat. Once hot, brown the beef in two batches, seasoning each half of the beef with half of the salt and pepper when you add it to the pot. Remove the meat to a clean plate.

Add the onion, celery and balsamic vinegar to the pot. Cook until softened, 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, dried thyme and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the beef broth, diced tomatoes, bay leaf and browned beef plus any juices from the plate to the pot. Stir. Bring the soup to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low so that it maintains a low simmer and cover the pot. Cook at a low simmer for 1 hour.

Stir in the potatoes, carrots and green beans. Cover and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 35-45 more minutes, adding the frozen peas during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Remove and discard bay leaf. Taste and add more salt and/or pepper if needed. Serve soup garnished with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.