Spicy Italian Soup

Name: Spicy Italian Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h 40 min
Yield: 8 servings.
Ingredients: 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes; 1 small soup bone, optional; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 can (28 ounces) stewed tomatoes; 1 cup chopped celery; 1 cup sliced carrots; 1/4 cup snipped celery leaves; 1 tablespoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram; 1/2 teaspoon dried basil; 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 1/4 teaspoon dried savory; 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/8 teaspoon ground mace; Hot peppers, seeded and minced or crushed red pepper flakes to taste; 4 cups water; 1 cup elbow macaroni

To warm up those cold winter night, this soup does the trick. The flavor of having it simmer all day makes it extra special.—David Wallace-Menard, Shepard, Montana

Ingredients

1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 small soup bone, optional
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can (28 ounces) stewed tomatoes
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sliced carrots
1/4 cup snipped celery leaves
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon dried savory
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon ground mace
Hot peppers, seeded and minced or crushed red pepper flakes to taste
4 cups water
1 cup elbow macaroni

Directions

In a Dutch oven, brown beef and soup bone in oil over medium-high heat. Stir in tomatoes, celery, carrots, celery leaves and seasonings. Add water and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook 3-4 hours or until meat is tender. Remove any meat from the soup bone; discard bone. Dice meat and add to soup. Twenty minutes before serving, add macaroni; cook, covered, until tender.