Peasant Soup

This is our family's Christmas Eve traditional soup. It is a fabulous soup and freezes extremely well. Note: if you plan to freeze the soup, do not freeze the macaroni shells because they will expand too much and break apart. Just cook more noodles when you thaw/warm up the soup. My Grandmother found this recipe in the newspaper in Oklahoma over 25 years ago! Here's a picture of the soup that I made yesterday. My family is in heaven because this recipe makes a LOT of soup.

Peasant Soup:
4 lbs round steak (or stew beef), cook in water with salt and pepper for 2 hours on med heat until tender. (Bring to a boil first, then medium heat)

3 quarts water
4 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

Sauté the following in ¼ cup oil: ½ cup celery (chopped), spinach (frozen, chopped), green pepper, onion.

Cook 2 cup small macaroni shells.

Then add all ingredients in large pot:
4 cups diced potatoes
2 cups diced carrots
1lb 14oz can tomatoes
1 10oz pkg frozen peas
½ lb pepperoni
3 ¾ cup beef broth
1 tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp basil
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Voila!