Hearty Beef Vegetable Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. can tomatoes, cut up
2 or 3 onions, chopped
3 large carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
5 c. water
1/4 c. ketchup
2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. basil
2 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 c. pearled barley
1 bay leaf
4 Tbsp. sweet butter
2 c. finely chopped yellow onions
3 c. chicken stock
2 lb. zucchini (about 4 medium-size)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 Tbsp. sweet butter
2 c. finely chopped yellow onions
2 c. peeled and chopped carrots
6 parsley sprigs
5 c. chicken stock
2 large potatoes (about 1 1/2 lb.), peeled and cubed (3 to 4 c.)
1 c. chopped fresh dill
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 to 3 c. grated good quality Cheddar cheese

Preparation

Melt the butter in a soup pot.
Add onions and carrots and cook over low heat, covered, until vegetables are tender and lightly covered, about 25 minutes.
Add parsley, stock and potatoes and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer until potatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes.
Add dill; remove soup from the heat and let it stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
Pour soup through a strainer and transfer the solids to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade or use a food mill fitted with a medium blade.
Add 1 cup of the cooking stock and process until smooth.
Return pureed soup to the pot and add additional cooking liquid, about 3 to 4 cups, until the soup reaches the desired consistency.
Set over low heat; add salt and pepper to taste and gradually stir in the grated cheese.
When all the cheese is incorporated the soup is hot (not boiling), serve immediately. Makes 6 portions.