Tomato Beef Crockpot Soup

Stew meat is notoriously tough, but I figured making a soup out of it the crockpot would take care of that. Of course, being me with my allergies, there is no garlic or onions or peppers in this recipe--you could add them in but honestly, it doesn't need it. Tastes really good and what little garlic there is in the Imagine soup isn't enough to bother me.

Yasmine

Tomato-Beef Soup

2 lbs beef stew meat, diced and trimmed of fat
1 quart tomato soup (I use Imagine brand)
1 tbsp Better than Bouillon beef paste
1.5 cups frozen broccoli
1 cup peeled baby carrots
1 can diced no-salt tomatoes
1/2 cup Port
1.5 cups steamed rice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf

In crockpot on Low heat, add olive oil and beef. Cover and leave for three hours. Skim off fat, then add beef bouillon paste, Port, bay leaf, and carrots. Cook for another 90 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Add can of tomatoes and broccoli. Cook for another hour. Add quart of tomato soup and rice. Stir well. Cook on low for another half hour.

Makes 6-8 hearty servings