HAMBURGER SOUP

1 to 2 pounds ground beef*
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 celery sticks, diced
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
3 14.5-ounce cans beef broth
2 cans water
½ teaspoon thyme
4 carrots, diced
1 bay leaf
1 can black beans or green beans, drained
½ cup barley (optional)
10 peppercorns or ground pepper to taste

Slightly brown beef. Pour into a strainer. Rinse with hot water. Sauté onion in olive oil. Place all ingredients, except beans and barley, in a soup kettle. Bring to a boil. Add barley and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about one hour. Add beans or other cooked vegetables and heat through. Remove bay leaf. Serves 8 – 10. 

*The great thing about soup like this is that it can be changed to fit your tastes or use leftovers. The amount of ground beef depends on your desire for a more or less meaty soup. Rinsing the browned ground beef with hot water will reduce the amount of fat in the soup. I omitted the barley and put everything in a crock-pot for 4 hours.