Soups: Vegetable Beef Soup 2 1/2 qts. Beef stock
3/4 lb. Lean beef (stir fry strips work well) cut into small pieces
2 medium Onions, finely diced
2 stalks Celery, finely diced without greens
2 medium Carrots, diced into 1/4 inch cubes
3 large Potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/4 inch cubes
16 oz. Mixed vegetables, frozen
1 can Chopped tomatoes with liquid* (28 oz. )
1 Bay leaf, large
1 Tbsp. Parsley, fresh chopped finely (dried parsley is useless)
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil 
Salt & Pepper
Coat the bottom of a large soup pot with 3 Tbsp. of olive oil and cook diced onions on low-medium heat until they are translucent. Add celery and beef, cook for 5 minutes more. Drain only the fat that seems excessive - lean beef should add only a slight amount to the olive oil as a fat, some fat is necessary for good flavor. Add beef stock, diced carrots, frozen vegetables, bay leaf, chopped tomatoes and parsley. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add potatoes, cover and simmer for 20 minutes more. Add salt and pepper to taste.
TIPS:
Some chopped tomatoes come in puree. I find these too strong for soup, they tend to take over all the other flavors. Read the label to be sure of what you're buying.