Growing up we spent most holidays at my grandparents house in Southern California. It always meant lots of people gathered around and on New Year’s, it always meant football. My Grandma Del always made soup as an easy way to feed the crowd after having festivities for several weeks.
This year, my dad decided he wanted to attempt the soup. Even though he is not the cook in our family, he followed the recipe to the letter. I think it came out just like hers. I never would have gotten it that way because I would have fiddled with it along the way. This is an old fashioned home-style Midwestern soup. It is delicious in its own right, but it we thought it needed some more oomph for today’s tastes. The ever-present bottle of Tabasco and Parmesan didn’t hurt and neither did the homemade french bread (courtesy of Peter Reinhart).
Grandma Del’s New Years Day Vegetable Soup
Shop on the 30th of December. On New Years Eve Day morning put ½ gallon of water in big soup pot. Cut in small pieces 2 ½ lbs of any good beef. Round, chuck or Rump. Add to water. Include any bones. Cut off green leaves of 2 stalks celery. 2 onions cut in ½ and pepper, garlic, basil, rosemary. Simmer all day, adding water. Drain stock into big bowl. Discard all except meat.
New years day while watching parade. Return stock and beef to clean soup pot. Cut small the two stalks celery, 2 more onions, 4 potatoes, 1 bunch carrots, salt and pepper to taste.
when first football game comes on add 1 lg can tomato sauce, salt pepper and basil.
2nd game add water – Stir.
3rd game add ¼ c rice.
At half time Rose Bowl Game add large package frozen mixed vegies. Do not boil. Serve w/ French bread butter cheese and leftover fruitcake and cookies.
