Aunt Hattie's Vegetable Beef

Directions: Brown 1 lb. ground beef or stew meat in skillet. Drain. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add browned beef, soup mix and seasoning packets. Cook until vegetables are al dente or to your liking, about 30 minutes, stirring often. Optional: Add 16 oz. canned diced tomatoes and 8 oz. can tomato sauce and let simmer 10 minutes. For a Southwest Flavor, substitute green chilies for the tomatoes. Feel free to add leftover vegetables to the soup for a heartier meal. For a thinner soup, adjust thickness by adding water. Ingredients: Beef Base [salt, maltodextrin (from corn), dextrose, rendered beef fat, sugar, hydrolyzed soy protein, caramel color, onion powder, garlic powder, natural flavoring, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate], Rice [enriched long grain rice, iron (ferric orthophosphate), niacin, thiamin (thiamin mononitrate), and folic acid], Pasta [semolina (wheat), niacin, iron (ferrous sulfate), thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acid], Pearled Barley Flake