I made a robust batch of tomato beef vegetable soup last night; I sometimes use a ham hock in soup, but didn't want to dig one out so did a mix of a half-pound of beef chuck roast and two slices of thick-sliced hickory smoked bacon, run through the grinder attachment on the stand mixer. Because of the recent freezer change out I had a quart of tomato juice (from garden tomatoes last year or the year before) to use as much of the liquid, along with a couple of pints of canned tomatoes that I need to finish up this year.

I started out sauteing chopped onion, then added the meat to brown along with it, then started adding vegetables according to how long they take to soften. Diced carrots and green beans spent the most time that way, then I added a bit of water so other things could steam (potatoes, kidney beans I prepared a couple of days ago) and then started adding the tomato stuff. I dehydrated mushrooms last year so I threw a handful in. The rule of thumb that I *think* came from Lynne Rossetto Kasper (The Splendid Table cookbook and long-running radio show) is to not add any tomato products until things like onion are at the point you want them, because once tomato is in the onions won't soften any more. Seasoning was (as usual) a hefty grind of black pepper, salt, oregano, and a dollop of Balsamic vinegar.

I finished with slivers of cabbage stirred in. It's a nice beefy/smoky/tomatoey soup. Great smell, great mouth-feel. More stuff than liquid, but not as thick as a stew.