Basic Vegetable Beef (or Chicken or Turkey) Soup and Stew

some form of inexpensive meat:  chuck roast, stew meat, London broil, leftover roast, (half a roasting chicken or chicken or turkey roast carcass)

carrot

celery

onion

Cube and brown beef in soup pot with a little canola oil.  Add water.  (Poultry, just boil, no need for browning.)  Season with salt, pepper, Herbs du Province, parsley and a couple of bay leaves.  (All the herbs are optional.)  Boil meat until tender 2-3 hours.  Add cut up carrots, celery and onion.  Boil until vegetables are tender, about 15 min.  Serve with dumplings, cooked pasta, egg noodles or rice.  Add any leafy green the last minute such as spinach or kale (optional).

For Stew

Use less water, vegetables are cut in larger pieces and add largely diced potatoes.  

Option 2:  After vegetables are tender you may want to thicken with a roux (flour and water mixed together into a paste with a fork in a cup. You need to whisk constantly while adding the roux to avoid lumps).  After the stew is thickened, never boil it again.  Turn the burner off.

Option 3:  Add tomatoes.